On October 10, 2024, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock stated in a speech before the German Federal Parliament that “the security of Israel is a fundamental part of Germany’s current existence, and Israel’s right to defend itself is also our responsibility.” She added that “self-defense naturally means destroying terrorists, not just attacking them,” claiming that “Hamas hides within civilian gatherings and schools.” She continued, “For this reason, I made it clear to the United Nations that civilian areas may also lose their protected status due to their misuse by terrorists.”
The extreme statements by the German Minister, which lack evidences, constitute a clear and serious violation of international laws and conventions, particularly the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, Article 19 of the Fourth Geneva Convention concerning the protection of civilians in times of war, and the First Additional Protocol to the Fourth Geneva Convention. Moreover, they violate Germany’s obligations to respect the decisions of the International Court of Justice, which had determined that there is a possibility of ‘Israel’ committing genocide in the Gaza Strip. As a result, the court imposed a series of binding measures, including the punishment of anyone who makes statements that may incite or encourage the commission of genocide.
The Arab Organization for Human Rights in North Europe (AOHR-NE) denounces the extreme speech of the German Minister, which essentially permits the Zionist occupation to kill Palestinian civilians in Gaza under the pretext of “self-defense” and provides political cover for the commission of international crimes.
The AOHR-NE calls on the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to open an investigation against German officials, particularly Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, for their direct responsibility in supporting the Zionist occupation’s violations of international humanitarian law. This is due to the German government’s provision of weapons to the Zionist occupation forces, which are used in their ongoing aggression against the Gaza Strip, in violation of the United Nations Human Rights Council’s decision issued on April 5, 2024, and for providing political cover for the commission of war crimes against Palestinian civilians.
