Human Rights Watch: US airstrike on Yemen’s Ras Issa port is a war crime

According to the Afghan Voice News Agency (AWA), US warplanes carried out about 14 airstrikes on the Ras Issa oil port in Yemen’s Hodeidah province, killing about 80 people and wounding more than 150 others. Many of the victims were port workers and aid workers who were trying to provide assistance to the site. The main infrastructure of the port, which is used to import fuel, was also extensively destroyed.

The Euro-Mediterranean Watch stressed in its statement that the US military did not issue any warnings before the attack to protect civilians and reduce possible damage, despite being aware of the civilian nature of the port. The organization noted that the manner in which the attack was carried out and the use of heavy weapons in a sensitive civilian facility was a sign of disregard for the principles of distinction and proportionality in international humanitarian law.

In a brief statement, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) claimed that the attack was carried out with the aim of “weakening the economic power of the Houthis” and described it as a response to the group’s use of revenues from fuel imports to support its military. However, the Euro-Mediterranean Observatory stressed that such claims cannot justify targeting a civilian facility and causing such levels of casualties and destruction.

The human rights organization also stated that the CENTCOM statement was a sign of a clear disregard for fundamental principles of international law and that the attack on civilian facilities was disproportionate to the US claim of military objectives. The Euro-Mediterranean Observatory warned that the attack may constitute a serious violation of international law, including the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and the First Additional Protocol of 1977, and may constitute a war crime.

The organization also considered the US military action to be contrary to the UN Charter, noting that the use of force in international relations is legitimate when it is in self-defense against an armed attack or with the authorization of the UN Security Council; while neither of these conditions was met in the attack on the Yemeni port.

The Euro-Mediterranean Observatory further pointed out the connection between the US actions and military and political support for the Israeli regime, stating that while the Houthis have launched their naval operations in response to the Israeli attacks on Gaza, instead of adopting a diplomatic approach, the US has escalated military force, thus paving the way for the continuation of the genocide in Gaza.

In conclusion, the international body called for an immediate, independent and transparent investigation into the attack, and stressed that the perpetrators must be prosecuted. It also called on the US to immediately cease its illegal military actions in Yemen and adhere to international law.