In her presentation, Dr. Saliternik explained the legal situation in Gaza both before the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, and after the subsequent Israeli invasion. In particular, she examined whether Gaza was to be considered occupied by Israel before Israel's invasion in October. She addressed the question of whether Israel's occupation had ended with its withdrawal from Gaza in 2005, or whether the occupation had continued through the exercise of effective control over Gaza's airspace, borders and waters.
She then turned to an analysis of the current situation in relation to the law of occupation and addressed what obligations Israel would face both within and outside the legal framework of occupation, particularly in relation to the provision of humanitarian aid to the civilian population.
Finally, Dr. Saliternik outlined possible future developments in the Gaza Strip. Notwithstanding persisting problems, she ended her presentation on a hopeful note. The presentation was followed by a productive discussion with participants.
The Department of International Law and International Relations at the University of Graz is expressing its gratitude to Dr. Saliternik for her insightful lecture as part of the GILDS event series and is looking forward to further exciting lectures within the series.