Gaza
Legal expert calls targeting Gaza police commanders war crime
Image credit: Shehab Wire (EN)
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Legal expert Osama Saad told Shehab Wire that police officers are civilians assigned to enforce law under international humanitarian law and cannot be treated as military targets under any circumstances, provided they do not participate in combat operations or become integrated into armed military units. Targeting such personnel constitutes a war crime and a flagrant breach of international law, Saad said.
The legal assessment underscores protections for civilian law enforcement personnel during armed conflict. Saad emphasized that police forces maintain their civilian status and legal immunity from attack as long as they perform strictly law enforcement functions separate from combat roles, a distinction that carries weight under conventions governing wartime conduct.
