OCTOBER 31 — Even war has rules, said UN Secretary General António Guterres in his remark to the UN Security Council on October 24 to mark 78th anniversary of the entry into force in 1945 of the UN Charter.

That Charter reflects the shared commitment to advance peace, sustainable development and human rights.

Sadly, the day was marked by the relentless bombardment of Gaza by Israeli forces, with an alarming level of civilian casualties.

Nothing can justify the deliberate killing and injuring of civilians, or the launching of rockets against civilian targets, by any party to an armed conflict.

The world and international community must demand that all parties uphold and respect their obligations under international humanitarian law.

The world and international community must be concerned about the clear violations of international humanitarian law in Gaza.

The protection of civilians is paramount. Protecting civilians does not mean ordering more than one million people to evacuate to the south, where there is no shelter, no food, no water, no medicine and no fuel, and then continuing to bomb the south itself.

As Guterres also said, let it be clear that no party to an armed conflict is above international humanitarian law.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.