COVID-19 in Palestine: What International Laws Can Offer?
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33102/uij.vol33no3.435Keywords:
COVID-19, Rome Statute, Geneva Conventions, Palestine, international criminal law, international humanitarian lawAbstract
The unprecedented health and social crises caused by COVID-19 has extended the ongoing humanitarian issues of the people living in Palestine. It was reported by the World Health Organization that until 14th of August 2021, there were 349,108 cases of COVID-19 and 3,891 deaths reported in Palestine. In such a context, international laws in particular international humanitarian law (IHL) and international criminal law (ICL) can offer vital protection and recourse to prevent any destructive effect from the pandemic to Palestinians. The purpose of this article is to examine the contents of IHL and ICL that can be applied in mitigating the effects of COVID-19 in Palestine. This article argues that there are specific principles and provisions in these areas of laws that could play significant roles in this context. Using a qualitative method, primary and secondary sources are examined to address how IHL and ICL could come into play to address the impeding humanitarian needs of the people living in Palestine. The preliminary findings from this article indicate that IHL and ICL provide workable solutions that can be ventured further in dealing with COVID-19 in Palestine.
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Copyright (c) 2021 Mohamad Kamal Sodiqin Abdull Manaf, Nisar Mohammad Ahmad
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