Human Rights Watch (HRW) yesterday accused Israel of carrying out attacks against the Palestinians in Gaza “that violated the laws of war and apparently amount to war crimes” during its 11-day assault in May.
The deadly bombardment killed over 250 Palestinians, including 66 children, and forced tens of thousands to flee their homes.
The international human rights organization issued its conclusions after investigating three Israeli airstrikes that it said killed 62 Palestinian civilians. It also conducted interviews with relatives of civilians killed, residents of areas targeted, and those that witnessed the Israeli attacks.
Human Rights Watch accuses Israeli military of apparent war crimes https://t.co/xH53vE1Icf pic.twitter.com/1QctA5iTZD
— The Hill (@thehill) July 28, 2021
“Israeli forces carried out attacks in Gaza in May that devastated entire families without any apparent military target nearby,” said Gerry Simpson, associate crisis and conflict director at HRW.
“Israeli authorities’ consistent unwillingness to seriously investigate alleged war crimes, as well as Palestinian forces’ rocket attacks toward Israeli population centers, underscores the importance of the International Criminal Court’s inquiry.”
Omar Abu Al-Ouf, the only survivor in his family after the four-story building they lived in collapsed from Israel’s bombings, was among those interviewed. His father, Ayman, head of internal medicine at Gaza City’s Al-Shifa hospital, his mother, and two siblings were killed.
In its investigation, HRW concluded that Israel had used US-sourced GBU-31 precision-guided bombs, and that it did not warn residents to evacuate the area ahead of time. It also found no evidence of military targets in the area.
“An attack that is not directed at a specific military objective is unlawful,” it wrote.
Israel appears to have committed war crimes in May conflict with Hamas, Human Rights Watch says https://t.co/SjZ451v9Oa
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) July 28, 2021
HRW called out Israel “to improve its compliance with the laws of war” and investigate past allegations. It also called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate Israeli strikes during the May assault on Gaza.
“These investigations should also address the larger context, including the Israeli government’s crushing closure of Gaza and its crimes of apartheid and persecution against millions of Palestinians,” said Simpson.
(MEMO, PC, Social Media)
