New York-based Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) has sued US President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Secretary of Defense Austin for failing to prevent and aiding and abetting “genocide” in Gaza.
The suit was filed on behalf of Palestinian human rights organisations, Palestinians in Gaza, and US citizens with relatives in Gaza.
“Biden, Blinken, and Austin were sued in their official capacity for failing to prevent an unfolding genocide where they have influence over Israel to do so, and directly abetting its development with weapons, funds, and diplomatic cover, in breach of duties enshrined in the Genocide Convention and customary international law,” the rights group said in a statement.
The filing is accompanied by a declaration from the leading legal expert on genocide, William Schabas, who identifies features of the Israeli government’s statements, deadly military assault, and total siege as signs of genocide and affirms the United States’ breach of its legal duty to prevent genocide, it added.
The complaint cited the US government’s unconditional support for Israel as it bombs the people of Gaza and deprives them of food, water, and other necessities.
The complaint stated Hamas October 7 attack cannot legally justify the forms of targeting an entire population and collective punishment meted out by the Israeli government, let alone genocide.
“Since October 8th, Israel has killed over 11,000 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip – mostly civilians, including more than 4,600 children – and displaced 1.5 million,” the CCR said.
