States fueling 'Israel’s' Gaza war are complicit in war crimes: report
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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.
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Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip, as seen from southern occupied Palestine, on November 21, 2023 (AP)
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 The Guardian.
Since the start of "Israel's" aerial bombardment of Gaza in October, four tankers of American jet fuel, primarily used for military aircraft, have been shipped to the country.
Three shipments of jet fuel departed from Texas after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling on January 26, which ordered "Israel" to prevent genocidal acts in Gaza. The ruling emphasized that under the Genocide Convention, states share a “common interest to ensure the prevention, suppression, and punishment of genocide.”
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 The Guardian.
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.
War on Gaza fuelled crude oil, petroleum imports
According to The Guardian'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.
“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.
Read next: Global oil industry is fueling war on Gaza: The Guardian
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.
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.
State inconsistency
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.
“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.
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.
“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.
States not abiding by ICJ
The new research by Data Desk, 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.
Some fuel from refineries is directed to the occupation forces, while much goes to gas stations where military personnel refuel under government contracts. Specific crude shipments cannot be directly linked to military use with the available data.
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 suggests that oil imports likely support military operations in Gaza and the expansion of settlements considered unlawful by many allies.
Corporate interests
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.
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.
“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.
Shell and Total declined to comment. BP and Exxon did not respond.
