THE CRIME OF LOOTING NATURAL RESOURCES IN THE GAZA CONFLICT: A CASE STUDY OF GAS EXPLORATION IN ISRAEL

Abstract

The conflict in Gaza is not only a planned humanitarian event but also raises serious issues regarding exploitation while considering the understanding of legal dominance related to the gas resources found in the Gaza Strip and the alleged illegal looting within the framework of international humanitarian law. This article uses a normative legal approach to examine the actions taken in Gaza in light of the Hague Convention of 1907, the Geneva Conventions of 1949, and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. It is universally accepted that resource plunder is a crime within the scope of war, and Gaza remains an occupied territory. This research shows that Israel's gas exploitation in Gaza could very well align with the definition of pillage as outlined in international criminal law. This study focuses on Gaza and Sierra Leone as case studies to emphasize the dominant structural pattern of highly conspicuous legal abuse that is similar across conflicts and colonial occupations. These findings emphasize the need for such actions; violations of such structural patterns demand action not only from states but also from the international community and the global governance system.