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<a class="gmail-domain gmail-reader-domain" href="https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/states-fueling--israel-s--gaza-war-are-complicit-in-war-crim">english.almayadeen.net</a>
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<h1 class="gmail-reader-title">States fueling 'Israel’s' Gaza war are complicit in war crimes<br></h1>
<div class="gmail-credits gmail-reader-credits">Al Mayadeen English</div>
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<div class="gmail-reader-estimated-time" dir="ltr">August 20, 2024<br></div>
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<div class="gmail-moz-reader-content gmail-reader-show-element"><div id="gmail-readability-page-1" class="gmail-page"><p>New
research by The Guardian reveals that Israeli attacks on Gaza and home
demolitions in the West Bank are being fueled by countries bound by the
Genocide and Geneva Conventions, with nearly 80% of US fuel supplies to
"Israel" arriving after a January ICJ ruling.</p><img src="cid:ii_m0358gsz0" alt="3ad22ca9-a00a-4047-880f-02a4cc273297.jpg" width="468" height="312"><br><div><ul id="gmail-content-slick-0"><div aria-hidden="false"><li>
Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza
Strip, as seen from southern occupied Palestine, on November 21, 2023
(AP)
</li></div></ul>
<p>New research suggests that countries are supporting Israeli attacks
on Gaza and home demolitions in the occupied West Bank signed up to the
genocide and Geneva Conventions, raising concerns among legal experts
about potential complicity in crimes against Palestinians, reported <em>The Guardian</em>. </p>
<p>Since the <a href="https://english.almayadeen.net/articles/features/the-israeli-aerial-bombardment-in-the-west-bank-escalates--i">start of "Israel's" aerial bombardment of Gaza</a> in October, four tankers of American jet fuel, primarily used for military aircraft, have been shipped to the country.</p>
<p>Three shipments of jet fuel departed from Texas after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling on January 26, which <a href="https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/icj-orders--israel--to-immediately-halt-offensive-on-rafah">ordered "Israel" to prevent genocidal acts in Gaza</a>.
The ruling emphasized that under the Genocide Convention, states share a
“common interest to ensure the prevention, suppression, and punishment
of genocide.”</p>
<p>Nearly 80% of the jet fuel, diesel, and other refined petroleum
products supplied to "Israel" by the US over the past nine months were
shipped after the January ICJ ruling, according to new research
commissioned by Oil Change International and shared exclusively with <em>The</em> <em>Guardian</em>.</p>
<p>Researchers tracked 65 oil and fuel shipments to "Israel" from
October 21 last year to July 12 using shipping logs, satellite images,
and other open-source data. Their analysis indicates that Azerbaijan,
Kazakhstan, Gabon, Nigeria, Brazil, and recently the Republic of the
Congo and Italy supplied "Israel" with 4.1 million tons of crude oil,
nearly half of which was shipped after the ICJ ruling. </p>
<h2>War on Gaza fuelled crude oil, petroleum imports</h2>
<p>According to <em>The Guardian</em>'s report, "Israel" depends on
crude oil and refined petroleum for its military fleet and bulldozers
used in Gaza and the West Bank. In light of these findings, UN and
international law experts are calling for an energy embargo and
investigation into fuel shipments used for alleged human rights
violations and genocide.</p>
<p>“After the 26 January ICJ ruling, states cannot claim they did not
know what they were risking to partake in,” said Francesca Albanese, the
UN special rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territory, adding
that under international law, states have obligations to prevent
genocide and respect and ensure respect for the Geneva conventions.</p>
<p><strong>Read next: <a href="https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/global-oil-industry-is-fueling-war-on-gaza--the-guardian">Global oil industry is fueling war on Gaza: The Guardian</a></strong></p>
<p>Last week, the US allocated $3.5 billion to "Israel" for US-made
weapons and military equipment, despite reports from UN human rights
experts and other investigations documenting violations of international
law by Israeli forces in Gaza and the West Bank. The following day, the
US approved an additional $20 billion in weapons sales, including 50
fighter jets, tank ammunition, and tactical vehicles.</p>
<p>The sale and transfer of jet fuel – and arms – “increase the ability
of Israel, the occupying power, to commit serious violations”, according
to the UN human rights council resolution in March. According to the
White House, the US is the largest supplier of fuel and weapons to
"Israel", with its policy remaining unchanged following the ICJ ruling.</p>
<h2>State inconsistency </h2>
<p>Brazil, which advocated against the Israeli war on Gaza, has provided
9% of "Israel’s" crude oil in the past nine months. This includes a
shipment in February, following the interim ICJ ruling, and another
tanker of fuel oil, used primarily for heating and generators, which
departed in April.</p>
<p>“The clock started after the ICJ ruling, but there was already a
general obligation for states under the Geneva Convention to respect,
enforce, and ensure enforcement of international humanitarian law, which
is clearly not happening,” added Albanese.</p>
<p>Azerbaijan, the largest supplier of crude oil to "Israel" since
October, will host the 29th UN climate summit in November, with Brazil
scheduled to host the summit in 2025.</p>
<p>“The inconsistency of the states is worrisome, as the future Cop
hosts send oil to an unlawful occupation and alleged genocide. It shows
how far we are from compliance with climate commitments and
international law, and the urgent need to change course,” said Astrid
Puentes Riaño, UN special rapporteur on the human right to a healthy
environment.</p>
<h3>States not abiding by ICJ </h3>
<p>The new research by <em>Data Desk</em>, a UK-based consultancy, uses
ship positions, trade flows, port data, shipbrokers, satellite imagery,
and financial reports to track the fuel supply chain from October 21 to
July 12. "Israel's" two refineries convert crude oil into gasoline,
diesel, jet fuel, asphalt, and petrochemicals, depending on oil grade
and demand.</p>
<p>Some fuel from refineries is directed to the occupation forces, while <a href="https://english.almayadeen.net/news/Economy/-israel--braces-for-gas-production-blow-amid-war-expansion-f">much goes to gas stations where military personnel refuel</a> under government contracts. Specific crude shipments cannot be directly linked to military use with the available data.</p>
<p>Israeli tanks and commercial bulldozers use diesel engines. Since
January 26, "Israel" has received diesel shipments from Greece and the
US and converted crude into diesel at its refineries. This <a href="https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/un-experts-demand-oil-firms-to-halt-supplies-to--israel--ami">suggests that oil imports likely support military operations in Gaza</a> and the expansion of settlements considered unlawful by many allies.</p>
<h2>Corporate interests</h2>
<p>Corporations can and have been held liable for providing material
support in war crimes during previous wars or conflicts. In the
Nuremberg trials, corporate officials we held directly responsible for
their material assistance to crimes committed by the Nazis. In a recent
landmark civil ruling, Chiquita was ordered to pay $38m to the families
of Colombian men murdered by a paramilitary group financed by the US
fruit company between 1997 to 2004.</p>
<p>Just six major international fossil-fuel companies – BP, Chevron,
Eni, ExxonMobil, Shell, and TotalEnergies – could be linked to 35% of
the crude oil supplied to Israel since October, the OCI analysis
suggests. This is based on direct stakes in oil fields supplying Israeli
and/or the companies’ shares in production nationally.</p>
<p>“Given the well documented ongoing war crimes and warnings of a
genocide, these oil corporations have the responsibility to identify and
prevent any contribution to violations by the Israeli army,” said Lydia
de Leeuw, researcher and co-author of Fuelling the Flames in Gaza at
the Dutch nonprofit SOMO.</p>
<p>Shell and Total declined to comment. BP and Exxon did not respond.</p></div></div></div>
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