THE G7 bloc supporting Israel’s “right to defend itself” amid genocide in Gaza and now unlawful aggression against Iran signals a dangerous expansion of military conduct first tested in Palestine which "threatens humanity," an international relations expert has told The National.
As strikes between Israel and Iran continue for a fifth-straight day after being sparked by Israel’s surprise attack on Friday, Israeli forces opened fire on crowds of Palestinian people heading to get food once again, this time killing 51 and injuring more than 200.
Israel’s blockade and military campaign have caused widespread hunger and raised the risk of famine in the country. Now, Israel is reportedly set to pursue the military campaign in Iran for "weeks, not days," according to multiple Israeli and US sources.
Dr Nicola Perugini, senior lecturer in international relations at the University of Edinburgh, told The National that G7 leaders defending "Israel's right to defend itself" against Iran are the same ones who have "enabled the Gaza genocide".
He said Israel’s methods, once considered exceptional, are increasingly being normalised and even endorsed by Western powers, threatening to erode long-standing rules governing the conduct of war.
Perugini also suggested that since pressure on Israel was increasing, such as through sanctions from the UK, the aggression on Iran is "a distraction, meant to avoid further scrutiny for what's going on in Gaza" and an attempt to rally Western allies who had become "sceptical" of Benjamin Netanyahu.
"The international community has, in a way, normalized its conduct of war without accountability," Perugini explained.
"And many experts, politicians, and anti-genocide groups warned that if Israel wasn’t stopped in Gaza, its methods would spread. That’s what we’re witnessing now — and it’s a threat to humanity."
In a statement agreed at the G7 summit, leaders described Iran as “the principal source of regional instability and terror," adding they “affirm that Israel has a right to defend itself”.
"No matter what happens, no matter how much evidence exists of violations, that phrase — 'Israel’s right to defend itself' — is repeated without question," Perugini said.
"It’s a kind of blindness. A historical failure to address the asymmetries in the region, which is what’s allowed us to get where we are now.
"It’s a phrase that shields Israel politically from scrutiny. It immunises them from criticism. That refrain is deployed at any cost to prevent accountability."
Perugini said the countries defending Israel's aggression towards Iran are the same who have enabled genocide, and so "have lost any real international legal credibility".
"They’ve lost that standing", he added.
“We’re at a point of genocide even beyond the level of destruction we’ve seen over the past 20 months. We’re in a situation now in Gaza where Israel is using humanitarian aid to entrap Palestinians - calling them to come to aid distribution hubs four hours before they start to shoot at them.
US military lawyers now see Israel’s conduct in Gaza as legitimate under international law.
"We’re at a turning point where acts that amount to genocide are being reinterpreted as consistent with humanitarian law. The Geneva Conventions are being twisted to justify mass violence — and that’s a huge risk. If we don’t act now, we’re opening the door for future wars to follow these same patterns."
He added: "International law has been suspended when it comes to Palestinians. That’s where we are.
"States are defending that exception at any cost. They’re inverting the reality, distorting the true power dynamics and violence involved.
"We need to keep educating, and keep speaking out".
Israel’s genocide October 2023 has killed over 55,300 Palestinians, more than half of them women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
The death toll from Israel’s attacks on Iran has risen to more than 220, including 70 women and children. More than 20 people have been killed in Iranian attacks on Israel.
Israeli officials have claimed the country's initial strikes were an act of self-defence and argued Iran had rejected diplomatic efforts to ease tensions.
Israel said the barrage was necessary before Iran got any closer to building a nuclear weapon, although experts and the US government have assessed that Tehran was not actively working on such a weapon.
