Debunking Israel's Defense Speedrun

Summary

The transcript details Israel's defense in a court case brought by South Africa regarding alleged acts of genocide in Gaza. Israel argues that its actions are defensive and aimed at neutralizing Hamas, which it claims has entrenched itself within the civilian population of Gaza. The arguments cover historical context, military strategy, and humanitarian impact, including blockades and evacuation orders. Israel maintains that its measures are in compliance with international law, while countering allegations of disproportionate violence and deliberate starvation of civilians.

Takeaways

• 🎤 Israel presented its oral argument in the case concerning genocide allegations in the Gaza Strip.
• 🛡️ Israel's co-agent, Mr. Tal Becker, argued that any acts that might be considered genocidal have been perpetrated against Israel.
• 📉 The 'Red Lines' document was mentioned, detailing Israel's control over food supply to Gaza, reducing calorie intake to put Palestinians on a 'diet' without causing hunger.
• 🏚️ Evidence from The Washington Post and Associated Press highlighted the scale of devastation in Gaza, comparing it to conflicts in Aleppo and Mosul.
• 🏥 Israel's defense cited Hamas's use of civilian areas for military purposes, including homes, mosques, and hospitals, leading to civilian casualties.
• 🚫 The Israeli 'Deia Doctrine' involves disproportionate attacks on civilian areas in response to rocket attacks, aiming to influence enemy behavior.
• 🔒 Israel maintains control over Gaza's imports, exports, electricity, and communication networks, despite claims of Gaza's autonomy.
• 💼 Israel's independent legal system handles transgressions by its forces, but few convictions have occurred for actions in Gaza.
• 🚰 Human Rights Watch and other organizations report severe restrictions on food, water, and fuel to Gaza, describing it as a 'war of starvation'.
• 🪖 Calls for civilian evacuation by Israel are presented as protective measures, though they result in significant displacement and destruction of homes.

Q & A

What was the purpose of the court meeting mentioned in the transcript?

The court met to hear the state of Israel present its single round of oral argument in the case concerning the application of the convention on the prevention and punishment of the crime of genocide in the Gaza Strip, South Africa versus Israel.

Who represented Israel in the oral argument?

Mr. Tal Becker represented Israel in the oral argument.

What argument did Mr. Tal Becker present regarding acts characterized as genocidal?

Mr. Tal Becker argued that if there have been acts that may be characterized as genocidal, they have been perpetrated against Israel. He emphasized the need for a capacity to commit genocide and the resources required to mobilize such acts.

What did the 'red lines document' mentioned in the transcript calculate?

The 'red lines document' calculated the minimum number of calories needed by every age and gender group in Gaza, which was 2,279 calories per person per day. From this, the quantity of fruits, vegetables, milk, and meat and poultry was reduced.

How did the Israeli ban affect Gaza's agriculture according to the transcript?

The Israeli ban on bringing in seeds and exporting produce led to a decline in the quantity of fruit and vegetables Gaza could produce for itself, from 1,000 tons a day to 500 within a few months.

What did the Council for the applicant describe regarding the suffering in Gaza?

The Council for the applicant described the suffering in Gaza as unparalleled and unprecedented, affirming the scale of the devastation through an investigation by The Washington Post.

How did the Israeli military's strikes compare to other conflicts, according to the transcript?

The Israeli military conducted 22,000 strikes in the last week, which exceeds the nearly 15,000 strikes carried out by the US-led coalition across Iraq during the 2014-2017 campaign to defeat the Islamic State.

What is the 'Deia Doctrine' mentioned in the transcript?

The 'Deia Doctrine' was conceived by Gadi Eisenkot in 2008, whereby civilian areas would be disproportionately attacked by Israel in response to rocket attacks. It involves a complete obliteration of the areas from which Israel is fired upon.

What were the consequences of the Israeli blockade on Gaza according to the transcript?

The Israeli blockade controlled imports and exports, export taxes, territorial waters, airspace, electricity lines, and telecommunications, leading to significant de-development and de-industrialization in Gaza, with high unemployment and poverty rates.

What was the condition of water infrastructure in Gaza as mentioned in the transcript?

Water infrastructure in Gaza was severely damaged, with seven water facilities being directly hit, leading to a risk of sewage flooding and prompting descriptions of Israel's campaign as a war of starvation.

Outlines

00:00

🇮🇱 Israel's Response to South Africa's Genocide Allegation

The court session begins with Israel presenting its oral arguments in the case against South Africa's allegations of genocide in Gaza. Israel's co-agent, Tal Becker, argues that any genocidal acts have been against Israel, emphasizing that genocide requires significant preparation and capacity. Becker highlights the historical context of Gaza's potential for success and the deliberate restrictions imposed by Israel. He contrasts the devastation in Gaza with other conflicts like Aleppo and Mosul, underscoring Hamas's integration into civilian areas. The argument includes references to the Dahiya Doctrine and its impact on civilian areas, indicating Israel's strategy in response to rocket attacks.

05:02

📜 Israeli Leaders' Statements and Gaza's Displacement

Israel's leaders, including the Prime Minister and Defense Minister, have articulated their aims in Gaza, emphasizing the need to combat Hamas while affecting the civilian population. The Defense Minister's statements on denying essentials to Gaza and the potential impact on Lebanon are highlighted. The narrative includes the World Food Program's report on the displacement of Gaza's population and discussions on Hamas's evolving rhetoric. The legal justification for Israel's actions is questioned, with references to international laws and past conflicts like the 2014 Gaza invasion. The summary points to ongoing debates about Gaza's status and Israel's control over its population.

10:04

🏥 Humanitarian Impact and Evacuation Orders in Gaza

Israel's evacuation orders in Gaza are framed as measures to protect civilians, with officials stressing the severity of staying in conflict zones. Reports from Human Rights Watch and other organizations highlight the destruction of homes and infrastructure, complicating the return of displaced civilians. The account details Israel's tactics, such as targeting water facilities and agricultural lands, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis. The use of bulldozers to destroy fields and orchards is described, showing the long-term impact on Gaza's economy and food supply. The focus on civilian harm mitigation and the challenges of distinguishing combatants from non-combatants are underscored.

15:05

🚰 Starvation and Water Crisis in Gaza

The dire humanitarian situation in Gaza is exacerbated by deliberate actions to cut off food and water supplies. Reports from Euromed Monitor and the UN highlight the extreme hunger and desperation faced by Gaza's population. Israeli tactics include targeting water infrastructure, resulting in sewage flooding and increased health risks. The raising of agricultural lands during ceasefires further cripples Gaza's ability to sustain itself. The summary emphasizes the pre-existing vulnerabilities of Gaza's children and the worsening conditions due to the blockade and military actions. Testimonies from various officials and humanitarian organizations paint a grim picture of the ongoing crisis.

Keywords

💡Genocide

Genocide refers to acts committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial, or religious group. In the context of the video, Israel's representative argues that any genocidal acts are perpetrated against Israel, while the allegations brought by South Africa accuse Israel of committing genocidal acts in Gaza.

💡Hamas

Hamas is a Palestinian Islamic political and militant group. The video mentions Hamas's incursion, their control of Gaza, and their explicit goal to eradicate Jewish life from the Holy Land. The Israeli representative discusses Hamas's integration into civilian areas and their impact on the conflict.

💡Evacuation

Evacuation in this context refers to Israel's calls for Gaza's civilians to leave areas of intensive hostilities. The video presents this evacuation as a protective measure under international law, though it is criticized as potentially amounting to forced displacement.

💡Starvation as Warfare

Starvation as warfare refers to the deliberate use of hunger to weaken an enemy. Human Rights Watch and other organizations accuse Israel of using this tactic in Gaza by blocking food, water, and fuel supplies, which is considered a war crime.

💡International Humanitarian Law

International Humanitarian Law (IHL) governs the conduct of armed conflict and seeks to limit its effects. The video discusses various actions by Israel and whether they comply with IHL, including the proportionality of attacks, protection of civilians, and the legality of blockades.

💡Proportionality

Proportionality in armed conflict means that the harm caused to civilians must not be excessive in relation to the anticipated military advantage. The video critiques Israel's military actions in Gaza for potentially violating this principle due to the high civilian casualties and destruction.

💡Blockade

A blockade is an effort to cut off supplies, war material, or communications from a particular area by force. The video details Israel's blockade of Gaza, controlling imports and exports, and its impact on Gaza's civilian population and infrastructure.

💡War Crimes

War crimes are serious violations of the laws and customs applicable in armed conflict. The video presents allegations against Israel for committing war crimes in Gaza, including deliberate destruction of civilian property and infrastructure, and the use of starvation as a method of warfare.

💡Displacement

Displacement refers to the forced movement of people from their homes, often due to conflict or persecution. The video highlights the displacement of Gaza's civilian population due to Israeli military actions and whether these actions amount to forcible displacement under international law.

💡Right to Self-Defense

The right to self-defense is a state's right to defend itself against armed attack. The video discusses Israel's justification of its actions in Gaza as self-defense against Hamas, while questioning whether these actions comply with international legal standards.

Highlights

The court hears Israel's oral argument concerning the application of the convention on the prevention and punishment of the crime of genocide in the Gaza Strip.

Israel argues that any genocidal acts have been perpetrated against it, requiring the capacity and capability to commit genocide.

Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005, leaving a coastal area with potential for political and economic success.

The 'Red Lines' document calculates the minimum number of calories needed per person per day in Gaza, impacting the quantity of fruits, vegetables, milk, meat, and poultry allowed.

Council for the applicant describes the suffering in Gaza as unparalleled and unprecedented, with evidence of significant destruction.

Hamas is accused of entrenching itself within the civilian population, using homes, mosques, schools, and hospitals as terrorist hubs.

The Israeli War Cabinet includes officials with strategies that disproportionately target civilian areas in response to rocket attacks.

Israeli operations in Gaza are compared to other conflicts, showing a high level of destruction in a short time.

Israel's lawful aims in Gaza are articulated by its Prime Minister and Defense Minister, emphasizing defense and the displacement of the civilian population.

International law, including the Rome Statute, is cited to argue against using self-defense to justify criminal behavior.

Israel's robust legal system is tasked with addressing any transgressions of conflict rules by its forces.

Human rights organizations report significant control and blockade measures by Israel over Gaza, impacting imports, exports, and basic infrastructure.

Reports indicate high unemployment and poverty rates in Gaza, with a large portion of the population dependent on international assistance.

Evacuation of civilians from conflict areas is presented as a measure to protect civilians, though it is argued that it also leads to forced displacement.

Human Rights Watch and other organizations report on the deliberate destruction of agricultural land and infrastructure in Gaza, impacting food security.

Transcripts

I watched Israel's response to South

Africa let's get right into it the court

meets this morning to hear the state of

Israel present its single round of oral

argument in the case concerning

application of the convention on the

prevention and Punishment of the crime

of genocide in the Gaza Strip South

Africa versus Israel I shall now give

the floor to the co-agent of Israel Mr

tal Becker you have the floor Excellency

if there have been acts that may be

characterized as genocidal then they

have been perpetrated against Israel

there needs to be a capacity or a

capability to commit a genocide to be

able to engage in the level of violence

associated with genocide perpetrators

need time to develop the capacity to do

so mobilize the resources and take

concrete steps that will help them to

achieve their objective the Hamas

incursion was repelled in a couple days

when Israel withdrew all its soldiers

and civilians from Gaza in 2005 it left

a coastal area with a potential to

become a political and economic success

story in 2012 Amir AAS wrote for hararat

an article confirming the existence of a

soall red lines document the red lines

document calculates the minimum number

of calories needed by every age and

gender group in Gaza

2,279 calories per person per day from

this they reduced the quantity of fruits

and vegetables milk and meat and poultry

the idea is to put the Palestinians on a

diet but not to make them die of hunger

the quantity of fruit and vegetables

gazak could produce for itself was

expected to decline from 1,000 tons a

day to 500 within a few months due to

the Israeli ban on bringing in seeds as

well as the ban on exporting produce

remarkably Council for the applicant

described the suffering in Gaza as

unparalleled and unprecedented the

devastation and the scale of the

campaign was affirmed by none other than

an investigation by The Washington Post

the evidence shows that Israel has

carried out its war in Gaza at a pace

and level of Devastation that likely

exceeds any recent conflict Aleppo they

say is 1 and a half times the size of

Northern Gaza however nearly twice as

many structures were destroyed in

Northern Gaza in 7 weeks as were

destroyed in Aleppo over 3 years there's

also mosul Iraq in Iraq as reported by

the Associated Press on December 22nd

during the 2014 to 2017 campaign to

defeat the Islamic State in Iraq the

us-led Coalition carried out nearly

15,000 strikes across the country by

comparison the Israeli military said

they conducted 22,000 strikes in the

last week what is actually unparalleled

and unprecedented is the degree to which

Hamas has entrenched itself within the

civilian population throughout the the

strip with thousands of access points

and terrorist hubs located in homes

mosques un facilities schools and

perhaps most shockingly hospitals every

civilian casualty in this conflict is a

human tragedy the current Israeli War

cabinet includes Gadi eisenkot who in

2008 while IDF chief of Northern command

conceived the DEA Doctrine whereby

civilian areas will be

disproportionately attacked by Israel in

response to Rocket attacks Israel would

take one important lesson away from its

war with Lebanon its complete

obliteration of the Beirut suburb of

deia and a new initiative led by former

IDF Chief of Staff Gadi eisenkot would

bear its name what happened in the DEA

quarter of Beirut in 2006 will happen in

every village from which Israel is fired

on this isn't a suggestion this is a

plan that has already been authorized

retired Major General Gora Island would

invoke deia in his policy prescription

for Israel in the event of another war

with

Lebanon serious damage to the Republic

of Lebanon the destruction of homes and

infrastructure and the suffering of

hundreds of thousands of people are

consequences that can influence his bla

Behavior more than anything else

according to several Israeli officials

as reported in an investigation by the

Israeli 97 magazine the bombing of power

targets um Power targets meaning private

residences as well as public buildings

infrastructure and high-rise blocks

which sources say the Army defines as

power targets is mainly intended to harm

Palestinian Civil Society to create a

shock that among other things will

reverberate powerfully and Lead

civilians to put pressure on Hamas but

the court is not told how many thousands

of casualties are in fact

militants Israel's lawful AIMS in Gaza

have been clearly and repeatedly

articulated by its prime minister you

must remember what Amal has done to you

says our Holy Bible and we do remember

and we are fighting it's defense

minister we'll remember that it was on

October 9th when defense minister yov

gallan announced no food no water no gas

it's all closed we're fighting animals

and are acting accordingly just days

later he told

troops amid growing tensions with

Lebanon he revealed it is the citizens

of Lebanon that will pay the price of

these kinds of mistakes what we are

doing in Gaza we can do in Beirut and

all members of the war cabinet as the

Prime Minister

reaffirms Israel seeks neither to

permanently occupy Gaza with regard to

bringing the population back in the

words of Israeli Minister of Foreign

Affairs Eli Cohen at the end of this war

not only will Hamas no longer be in Gaza

but the territory of Gaza will also

decrease or to displace its civilian

population on December 14th the world

food program published a food security

update where they reported that more

than

85% of the population of Gaza have been

displaced and I now invite Professor

Malcolm sha hamas's explicit goal is to

eradicate Jewish life from the Holy Land

setting aside the fact that Hamas rarely

invokes the charter according to to a

2009 report from the United States

Institute of Peace a Federal Institution

which read the charter itself contains

statements that reflect a lack of

hostility toward Jews on the basis of

religion for example as article 31

States under Islam the followers of the

three religions Islam Christianity and

Judaism May coexist peacefully and

safely according to the Rand Corporation

the major defense Think Tank Hamas

dropped the language explicitly calling

for Israel's destruction which suggests

an effort by Hamas to portray itself as

more of an Islamic National Liberation

movement these atrocities do not justify

violations of the law in reply still

less genocide but they do justify

mandate even the exercise of the

legitimate and inherent right of a state

to defend itself you can't invoke

self-defense to justify criminal

Behavior per the Rome statute the fact

that the person was involved in a

defensive operation conducted by forces

shall not in itself constitute a ground

for excluding criminal responsibility

further the criminal Tribunal for the

former Yugoslavia ruled in its decision

for Milan martic that the rule which

states that reprisals against the

civilian population as such or

individual civilians are prohibited in

all circumstances even when confronted

by wrongful behavior of the other party

is an integral part of customary

international law and must be respected

in all armed conflicts reprisals must

always be proportionate to the attacks

to which they are respons responding and

must never aim at civilians or protected

objects if these conditions are not

respected then it is an act of Revenge

that Israeli forces have transgressed

some of the rules of conflict then the

matter will be tackled at the

appropriate time by Israel's robust and

independent legal system the last

largescale invasion of the Gaza Strip

was in 2014 operation protective Edge as

it was called which Amnesty

International called deliberate

destruction and Target getting of

Civilian buildings and property on a

large scale carried out without military

necessity I've never seen such massive

destruction ever before said then Red

Cross Chief Peter murrer yet only four

Israeli officers were convicted of any

wrongdoing the harshest sentence was 7

months for stealing a credit card two

soldiers who used a 9-year-old child as

a human shield received 3-month

suspended sentences no jail as from

Israel's withdrawal of its civilian and

Military Pres from Gaza in 2005 which

brought an end to its belligerent

occupation it's more popular to say that

Gaza is somehow free from Israeli

control even though it enforces what a

un report described as a medieval

military blockade controlling imports

and exports export taxes the territorial

Waters in airspace and has blocked the

building of an airport in Seaport they

control electricity lines the underwater

cable that phone calls are placed on the

network that provides internet and the

frequencies assigned to Palestinian cell

phone companies there's a reason Human

Rights Watch The International Committee

of the red cross the United Nations and

Israel's leading expert on international

law professor yuram denstein of Tel Aviv

University have all concluded that Gaza

is occupied by Israel and is therefore

responsible for its population it has

failed considerably at maintaining their

well-being Michael link special rator on

human rights in the Palestinian

territories reported in 2022 Gaza had

undergone a multi-decade process of

ddevelopment

and

de-industrialization resulting in a 45%

unemployment rate and 60% poverty rate

with 80% of the population dependent on

some form of international assistance as

bet selum concludes Israel has continue

to control nearly every aspect of life

in Gaza from outside and I now give the

floor to miss galit Ragan you have the

floor the application presents Israel's

call to civilians to evacuate areas of

intensive hostilities

quote as an act calculated to bring

about its physical destruction quote

this is a particularly egregious

allegation evacuation of civilians is

recognized under International

humanitarian law as one of the measures

that may be implemented to protect

civilians from the effects of ongoing

hostilities indeed such evacuation may

even amount to a duty that the party to

the conflict has towards civilians

Israel's energy Minister Israel Katz

made it clear when he said said all the

civilian population in Gaza is ordered

to leave immediately we will win they

will not receive a drop of water or a

single battery until they leave the

world indeed the alternative to leaving

was declared in no uncertain terms by

defense minister YF Gan those who want

to save their life please go south and

by IDF leaflets and cell phone audio

messages your presence north of Wadi

Gaza puts your life in danger whoever

chooses not to leave North Gaza to the

south of Wadi Gaza might be identified

as an accomplice in a terrorist

organization and the destruction of

homes and property ensured that there's

nowhere for them to go back to in the

trial judgment for Madan nich and vinko

martinovich the criminal Tribunal for

Yugoslavia interpreted that the

deliberate destruction of homes was

indicative of intent to forcibly

displace civilians when a genuine

evacuation takes place there is an

obligation to bring the population back

when the hostilities have ended no

attempts to return them were made in

fact most of their houses were torched

the IDF maintains a civilian harm

mitigation unit it works full-time to

provide advanced notice of areas in

which the IDS intends to intensify its

activities Israeli defense minister yoav

gallan ordered over 1 million residents

in gaza's North to relocate South gaza's

North contains all of Gaza City and the

largest hospital in all of the Gaza

Strip alifa the New York Times also

reports that while fleeing and is da air

strike struck a convoy of vehicles

trying to flee the north along a main

Highway despite the evacuation order to

separate Hamas from the civilian

population Israel is still bombing the

South which is crammed with hundreds of

thousands of fleeing refugees and as I

reported days ago last Tuesday the IDF

spokesperson said the emphasis is on

damage rather than on Precision Israel

has public publicly stated repeatedly

that there is no limit on the amount of

food water shelter or medical supplies

that can be brought into Gaza I wanted

to begin with a new report from Human

Rights Watch the Israeli government is

using starvation of civilians as a

method of warfare in the Gaza Strip

which is a war crime Israeli forces are

deliberately blocking the delivery of

water food and

fuel they remind us that this was not an

unfortunate un intended consequence of

War but a plan which was openly stated

at nauseum by Israeli officials the

Israeli energy Minister the one who

oversees the supply of energy into Gaza

stated on October 16th I strongly oppose

the opening of the blockade and the

introduction of goods into Gaza on

humanitarian grounds according to Human

Rights Watch the Israeli Army has also

been employing bulldozers in an example

that can hardly be called unintentional

since the beginning of the Israeli

military's ground offensive on October

27th satellite imagery reviewed by Human

Rights Watch indicates that Orchards

grain houses and farmland in Northern

Gaza have been raised the raising of

agricultural land continued in Northern

Gaza during the 7-Day ceasefire which

began on November 24th and ended on

December 1st when the Israeli military

was in direct control of the area

farmers in this area planted crops such

as citrus fruit potatoes dragon fruit

and prickly pear contributing to the

livelihoods of Palestinians in Gaza

other crops include Tomatoes cabbage and

strawberries some plots were raised in a

day trees that yield citrus fruit as

well as the cacti that yield dragon

fruit take years of care to mature

before they can yield fruit

highresolution satellite imagery shows

bulldozers were used to destroy fields

and

Orchards tracks are visible as well as

mounds of Earth on the edges of the

former

plots euromed monitor gives us further

understanding of the sheer desperation

of the situation in a recent report on

starvation comprising a sample of 1,00

people in Gaza euromed monitor concluded

that more than 71% of participants

reported that they suffer from extreme

hunger

98% say they eat insufficient amounts of

food and 64% admitted they had eaten

grass immature and expired food and I

invite Mr omry sender to address the

court you have the floor access to water

has also been a priority according to

Ocha or the UN office for coordination

of humanitarian Affairs on November 4th

and 5th seven water facilities across

the gaja STP were directly hit and

sustained major damage including three

sewage pipelines and Gaza City two water

reservoirs in Gaza City Rafa and jabia

refugee camp and two water wells in Rafa

the Gaza municipality warned about the

imminent risk of sewage

flooding indeed the targeting of water

infrastructure prompted euromed to

describe Israel's campaign as a war of

starvation the Israeli War of starvation

has taken very dangerous turns including

cutting off all Food Supplies to the

northern half and bombing and destroying

factories bakeries food stores water

stations and tanks throughout the entire

Enclave prior to the ongoing Israeli War

70% of the Gosa strip's children

suffered from varying health issues

including malnutrition anemia and

weakened immunity however euromed

monitor said the number has increased to

over 90% as a result of the

unprecedented Israeli attacks Kat the

unit in the ministry of Defense in

charge of monitoring the humanitarian

situation kette or the office of

coordination of government activities in

the territories is the unit in the

ministry of Defense in charge of

monitoring the humanitarian situation in

Gaza in his words here's ket's director

gasan Alan head of the coordinator of

government activities in the territories

explained and I now invite Mr

Christopher Staker to take the floor you

have the floor sir I address the fifth

requested measure this specifies types

of Acts to be regarded as deliberately

inflicting conditions of Life calculated

to bring about physical destruction it

seeks further impermissible implied

rulings on the merits for instance it

refers to so-called expulsion and forc

displacement of Palestinians from their

homes this is an apparent reference to

Israel's practice of issuing calls for

civilians to temporarily evacuate areas

of intense hostilities which is in fact

a measure to mitigate harm to civilians

this measure thus seeks the Court's

ruling that evacuation calls amount to

expulsion and forc displacement of

Palestinians from their homes just one

small problem as described by the

criminal Tribunal for Yugoslavia in the

appeal judgment from ilir stakic

although displacement for humanitarian

reasons is justifiable in certain

situations the appeals chamber agrees

with the prosecution that it is not

justifiable where the humanitarian crime

that caused the displacement is itself

the result of the accused's own unlawful

activity with regard to Bosnian Muslims

the displacement was involuntary and

that to the extent it had a humanitarian

purpose this was only because of a

humanitarian crisis that the appellant

himself had deliberately caused as the

authority responsible for international

Loy advice to Israel's government and

cabinet I can attest that in contending

with these challenges Israel remains

committed to international

law