By Fatma Zehra Solmaz
ANTALYA (AA) - Israeli forces are deliberately targeting journalists and human rights defenders to block documentation of alleged war crimes in Gaza, a senior Palestinian judge said Monday at a panel entitled Human Rights and Expert Witnessing in the World at the 20th International Forensic Medicine Days held at ATGV in Antalya.
“Since the very beginning of this campaign of genocide, Israel has worked to block journalists and human rights defenders from documenting these crimes so that it cannot be held accountable ... as anyone attempting to document or monitor the crimes becomes a direct target for Israeli airstrikes,” said Judge Ashraf Nasrallah, a high court judge in Gaza and president of the International Forum for Justice Against Genocide.
"During Israel's deliberate and indiscriminate bombing of civilians, internationally banned weapons were used," Nasrallah added, emphasizing that the situation in Gaza is neither a temporary attack nor a limited conflict.
Speaking with Anadolu, Nasrallah stated: "One of the most pressing issues today is the weapon of starvation being used against the people of Gaza. This constitutes both a war crime and a crime against humanity," adding that more than 400 children have died from malnutrition.
He further emphasized that “the recognition of the State of Palestine by countries such as Australia, Portugal, the UK and other countries… is extremely important,” noting it affirms the Palestinian people’s rights to self-determination and to end the Israeli occupation.
Describing the situation as “a full-scale genocide carried out entirely through military means, a suffocating blockade, and systematic policies targeting the Palestinian people and their right to a dignified life,” Nasrallah emphasized that Israel has committed a series of acts that constitute the elements of genocide as defined under the United Nations Convention on the Prevention of Genocide.
Nasrallah further stated: "This has turned Gaza into a scene of massacres documented with audio and video recordings," and further added that the bloodshed, famine, and destruction of hospitals, schools, and places of worship are clear evidence of crimes against humanity.
He stressed that the international community cannot remain passive and must take action.
Fahrettin Altun, President of the Turkish Human Rights and Equality Institution, chaired the 20th International Forensic Medicine Days’ first session entitled Human Rights and Expert Witnessing in the World.
Altun explained that the session would evaluate the essential role of forensic sciences in uncovering justice and truth through international examples.
“We are living in a global system where power, not justice, prevails amid chaos. Wars, migration, terrorism, food crises, disinformation, digital control, and online bullying all target humanity, creating conditions for systematic human rights violations, inequality, and injustice. Challenges are evolving, becoming increasingly complex and severe,” he said.
Emphasizing the deep crisis of justice in today’s world, Altun stated: “We are witnessing an era in which injustice has become global ... and evil has become commonplace. Defending human dignity, human rights, equality, and justice has now become an even more vital and sacred responsibility.”