Amnesty International: Stop arms deliveries to Israel

More than one-quarter of Slovak exports went to Israel last year, the organisation claimed.

Illustrative stock photoIllustrative stock photo (Source: AP/SITA)

Amnesty International Slovakia has joined the call to stop the delivery of arms and military equipment to Israel, turning the request to the Slovak economy minister.

There is a persisting risk that the weapons and defence industry products could have been used for serious violation of the international humanitarian law and human rights-related laws, as the organisation informed in a press release.

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“It is disturbing that more than one-quarter of Slovak exports went to Israel last year,” said Kamila Gunišová, head of Amnesty International Slovakia’s office.

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Responding to reports that dozens of Palestinians have been killed and hundreds injured by the Israeli military during protests along the fence that separates Gaza and Israel today, Philip Luther, Research and Advocacy Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International, said that this is “another horrific example of the Israeli military using excessive force and live ammunition in a totally deplorable way”.

Read also: Weapons are smuggled through Slovakia, Czech journalists reveal Read more 

“This is a violation of international standards, in some instances committing what appear to be willful killings constituting war crimes,” Luther added, as quoted in the press release.

Amnesty International called on the international community to stop the delivery of arms and military equipment to Israel, he continued.

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“The rising toll of deaths and injuries today only serves to highlight the urgent need for an arms embargo,” Luther said. “While some protestors may have engaged in some form of violence, this still does not justify the use of live ammunition.”

As he reminded, under international law, firearms can only be used to protect against an imminent threat of death or serious injury.

Early medical reports from Gaza indicate that dozens of people have been shot in the head or chest. Amnesty International documented research from the Gaza Strip last month that showed the Israeli military were killing and maiming demonstrators who pose no imminent threat to them, as it informed in the press release.

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