NEW YORK CITY: A UN expert warned on Wednesday that the absence of mechanisms to ensure accountability for grave breaches of international and humanitarian law could undermine the current Gaza peace plan.
“Crimes such as war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide must not be shielded by amnesties, statutes of limitation or other measures that similarly limit criminal responsibility,” said Bernard Duhaime, the UN special rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence.
“This fundamental principle of international law is essential to prevent impunity and applies equally to all perpetrators.”
Duhaime’s remarks came amid a fragile halt in hostilities between Israel and Hamas, and the release of the remaining Israeli hostages and detained Palestinians. The truce, coupled with the international Gaza Peace Summit in Sharm El-Sheikh on Oct. 13, offered what he described as a “glimmer of hope” for a region long engulfed in conflict.
But he cautioned that peace must be anchored in justice, accountability and inclusivity, and warned that failure to establish a clear framework for justice could render the peace process superficial and unsustainable.
