War against Hamas

Janik: “Israel’s security was an illusion”

(Bild: krone.tv)

In a krone.tv interview with Jürgen Winterleitner, international law expert Ralph Janik from the Sigmund Freud University in Vienna analyzes the legal and humanitarian aspects of the Israel-Palestine conflict and sheds light on the challenges facing the international community.

A devastating terrorist attack by Hamas on October 7, 2023 has plunged Israel into an ongoing war in the Gaza Strip. Janik says: "It is always necessary to maintain proportionality between the civilian casualties and civilian damage on the one hand and the military advantage expected as a result"

The current humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip is of course fatal, says Janik. "This war has a completely different dimension, as Hamas is deliberately using the civilian population as a shield." This leads to Israel taking "downright brutal action" because civilian areas in Gaza are often used as launching pads for rockets. This results in a breakdown of the norms that should actually apply in war.

Preventing the smuggling of weapons into the Gaza Strip with aid supplies
Despite the immense humanitarian need in the Gaza Strip, Janik believes that there are insufficient aid measures in place. "The sad thing is that there will always be too little," he emphasizes. Israel controls the entrance to the Gaza Strip, which increases international criticism. "The accusation that Israel is acting as an occupying power, even though it is not physically on the ground, comes precisely from this."

Line crossed between security imperative and retaliation
Janik calls for the creation of protection zones in which no fighting takes place in order to ensure supplies for the civilian population. "In theory, you would have to set up protection zones where there is no fighting," he explains. However, this is extremely difficult during an armed conflict. Israel's efforts in this direction are also dubious, as can be seen from the rhetoric of individual members of the Israeli government, who say "'we'll turn off the tap now or we'll make it harder for the entire civilian population. And that's where the line between security imperative and retaliation is crossed. And that's exactly where the international criticism comes from," says Janik.

These insights into the legal and humanitarian challenges of the ongoing conflict show how complex and devastating the situation in the Gaza Strip is. The international community faces major challenges in alleviating the suffering of the civilian population and finding a long-term solution.

Empty promise from Trump
Solutions that politicians like former US President Donald Trump do not have. "I will prevent World War III," Trump promised in the face of the Iranian attack on Israel. This is precisely where the strength of people like Trump comes from, says Janik. "That they promise something that they won't then implement because they can't implement it." He continues: "The security of Israel, even under Donald Trump, was ultimately - as we tragically learned on October 7, and above all the Israeli people - an illusion."