In 2005, the UN unanimously endorsed a doctrine called the ‘Responsibility to Protect’, a global commitment that aims to make sure the world never again fails to halt mass atrocity crimes – such as genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and other crimes against humanity.
Yet these are the kinds of crimes Israel has been committing every single day against Palestinians, particularly in Gaza since October. And with the Muslim holy month of Ramadan now underway, Palestinians in Gaza are still not safe and are still blocked off from the rest of the world.
In fact, according to UN officials, the catastrophe that has been unfolding in Gaza over the last five months – now culminating in Rafah along the border with Egypt – is the worst humanitarian crisis the world has known in the past 50 years.
The Responsibility to Protect doctrine was introduced to ensure the world does not fail people in the same way it failed to stop the crimes against humanity in Rwanda or Bosnia. So, where is this ‘Responsibility to Protect’ for the people in Gaza? Or is it a responsibility to protect everyone but Palestinians? Ahmed Shihab-Eldin shares his thoughts. Producer & presenter: Ahmed Shihab-Eldin Executive producer & editor: Alexander Durie
