Georgetown University in Qatar (GU-Q) hosted the latest instalment of their Palestine Speaker Series featuring an insightful talk by Michael Lynk, Professor Emeritus of Law at Western University in Canada, and the former UN Human Rights Council Special Rapporteur for the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
GU-Q dean Dr Safwan Masri said: “The talk by Canadian academic, Prof Michael Lynk on ‘International Law and the New War on Gaza’ highlighted legal aspects of the conflict and reflecting his role as UN Special Rapporteur reporting on human rights abuses committed by Israel in Palestine.”
During the talk, moderated by Khaled al-Hroub, professor in residence at Northwestern University in Qatar, Prof Lynk drew on his extensive experience in Palestinian human rights advocacy to share the challenges he faced in urging the international community to uphold the principles of human rights and international law in the occupied territories.
Drawing from his 2020 report as special rapporteur, Lynk detailed how collective punishment, a violation of international law explicitly forbidden in the 4th Geneva Convention of 1949, has led to widespread human rights abuses in Gaza. “Nobody should be punished for crimes they didn’t commit,” Lynk emphasised, condemning the practices and policies that have resulted in a humanitarian catastrophe.
Prof Lynk noted the numerous reports by human rights organisations that detail the violations in Palestinian territories which call for accountability and adherence to international human rights law. He pointed out that while these reports have gone largely ignored, there has been a shift in public perceptions including the use of “apartheid” and “genocide” to describe the Israeli occupation.
The economy of Gaza has been severely crippled by blockades and war, resulting in the highest unemployment rate globally. His report further documented that 97% of the water in Gaza is unfit for human consumption due to contamination, and the healthcare system is on the brink of collapse.
“For all these reasons, Gaza already was a humanitarian crisis. After October 7, it’s a humanitarian catastrophe on its way to becoming a humanitarian calamity,” he concluded.
Prof Michael Lynk
