SherriMunnerlyn; P F Tinmore;
et al,
You bolded the wrong part. The "Declaration on Principles of International Law concerning Friendly Relations and Cooperation among States" (DPILFRCAS) main point is to "refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any State." Hamas and the People of the Gaza Strip do many things, but that is not one of them. The DPILFRCAS is all about peaceful solutions, and not war, or terrorism.
A blockade is an act of war. The Palestinians were defending themselves as international law allows.
The Blockade is also collective punishment and a war crime.
(COMMENT)
One can, from a humanitarian point of view, consider the blockade as "collective punishment" where the idea is that the innocent are punished right along with the guilty. Yes, that is --- in the adversarial form, a side to be argued. But one could also argue, from the prosecutorial perspective, that the People of the Gaza Strip knowingly and actively support a terrorist state that organizes, instigates, facilitates, participates in, finances, encourages or tolerates the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of the recognized State of Israel
(in the first count). And further, the People of the Gaza Strip knowingly finance, encourage, and tolerates by allowing its territory, which it has placed at the disposal of another State (Iran), to be used by that other State (Iran) for perpetrating an act of aggression and terrorism against a third State (Israel). (Second Count) The People of the Gaza Strip knowingly engage in the illicit procurement of small arms and light weapons (SA/LW) from a third party state currently under UN Sanctions
(Iran - known to support terrorist campaigns) for the purpose of engaging the sovereignty of Israel. (Third Count)
Collective Punishment is not always a "war crime." It may be entirely appropriate to consider multiple conspirators under the same measure of justice. The Gaza Strip is a territory that is entirely populated by criminals and terrorists, or those that either encourage or directly support the criminal activity and terrorist action of a known terrorist organization (Hamas). The People of Gaza are the people behind a state which they encourage to sponsor terrorism.
But the blockade is not intended to be punishment at all.
The blockade is a crime prevention countermeasure to the impact of the criminal activity and terrorist action supported by the People of Gaza. The blockade can be lifted by changing the behaviors of the People of Gaza and their support for Hamas.
Most Respectfully,
R