Amidst environmental concerns in the Israel-Gaza conflict, there's a push to classify 'ecocide' as a global crime, a move that could reshape international law.
Lylla Younes reports for Grist.
In short:
- The Israeli military's actions in Gaza, including flooding tunnels, risk severe environmental damage, sparking global advocacy for recognizing 'ecocide' as an international crime.
- A panel of legal experts has proposed a definition for 'ecocide', aiming to make it the fifth crime prosecutable by the International Criminal Court.
- The campaign for ecocide law gained momentum with partial adoption in EU legislation, highlighting the urgency of environmental protection in conflict zones.
Key quote:
"The crime is not making the damage happen, it's creating substantial risk of that damage."
— Kate Mackintosh, executive director, UCLA Law Promise Institute Europe
Why this matters:
While ecocide is not yet recognized as an international crime like genocide or war crimes, there's a growing movement advocating for its inclusion in international law. This would hold individuals and corporations legally accountable for actions causing significant environmental harm.
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