July 31, 2006	Monday	Rajab 4, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, July 30: The Democratic Lawyers Association of Pakistan (DLAP), an affiliate of the International Association of Democratic Lawyers (IADL), has condemned the Israeli aggression against Lebanon and Palestine.

In a statement issued here Sunday, leader of the Association Advocate Naeem Shakir expressed solidarity with the people of Lebanon and Palestine and condemned the Israeli expansionist and imperialist wars and wanton killings of civilians in Beirut and Gaza.

Endorsing the resolutions of the International Association of Democratic Lawyers (IADL), an organisation of world jurists, the statement unequivocally condemned “Israel’s aggression against an independent and sovereign Lebanon, in violation of Article 2(4) of the UN Charter.

The IADL, which has a consultative status with UN’s ECOSOC and advisory status with Unesco in a resolution said: “Israel is targeting Lebanon’s infrastructure, used by civilians, has repeatedly bombed the Beirut airport and its fuel depot, and destroyed land routes connecting Lebanon to Syria which are not military targets.”

“Israel has chosen to put the whole region, and the rest of the world, in danger, as it pushes forward its agenda, supported by the US, to destroy Hezbollah, subjugate Lebanon and strike at Iran and Syria”, it says.

The jurists body asked Israel to cease its military aggression in Lebanon and Palestine, immediately.

It also called upon the UN Security Council to take initiative to uphold its charter, put an end to Israel’s aggression and bring peace in the Middle East.

GAZA CRISIS: The IADL condemned the Israeli military action in Gaza and its efforts to undermine the elected Palestinian Legislative Council. It urged the international community to oppose Israeli action and take steps to reverse the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

The Israeli military had killed more than 30 civilians, including three children and a pregnant woman. “IADL does not condone actions by Palestinians which target Israeli or other civilians, but notes that the actions which have been used as the excuse for the invasion involved military targets”.

Israel’s US-supplied artillery has pounded the northern Gaza Strip and has made incursions in other parts. Its aircraft struck bridges on the main roads and its helicopters knocked out Gaza’s main power plant, leaving half of its 1.5 million people and its two main hospitals without electricity and running water.

Israel had violated the right to self-determination of the Palestinian people, by refusing to recognize its democratically-elected government, kidnapping its representatives and bombing the home of the Palestinian prime minister, the resolution said.

Israel has created a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, in violation of the Geneva Conventions IV, and a Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (War Crimes, Article 8). It’s brutal retaliation against civilians constitutes collective punishment against the Palestinian people, in violation of Hague Regulations (Article 50); Geneva Conventions IV (Article 33); Geneva Conventions, Protocol I (Article 75), it added.

The jurist body asked Israel to cease attacks on Gaza immediately, lift the economic embargo it has imposed on Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and release the Palestinian MPs and other officials unconditionally.

It also demanded Israel to comply with international law, the UN Charter, Article 2(4) and UN Resolutions 194, 242 and others, in support of the right of self-determination of the Palestinian people and end its illegal occupation of Palestine; respect the findings of the International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion of July 9, 2004 declaring Israel’s construction of a wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and its associated regime contrary to international law, and immediately implement the obligations of the decision.

The resolution also asked the High Commissioner for Human Rights to visit the Occupied Palestinian Territories to investigate the current situation and its devastating impact on civilians.

The IADL, urged all parties to try to negotiate a peaceful resolution to this conflict.