HRW: Israeli strikes on Gaza broke international law

Israeli airstrikes that demolished four high-rise buildings in the Gaza Strip during the war in May apparently violated international laws of war, a leading international human rights group said Monday, calling on the Israeli military to provide evidence justifying the attacks.

Human Rights Watch noted the attacks damaged neighboring buildings, left dozens of people homeless and destroyed scores of businesses.

“The apparently unlawful Israeli strikes on four high-rise towers in Gaza City caused serious, lasting harm for countless Palestinians who lived, worked, shopped or benefited from businesses based there,” said Richard Weir, crisis and conflict researcher for Human Rights Watch. “The Israeli military should publicly produce the evidence that it says it relies on to carry out these attacks.”

It was the New York-based group’s third report on the 11-day war. It has previously accused Israel of war crimes for attacks that it said had no clear military targets but killed dozens of civilians.
 

During the 11-Day War, some 260 people were killed in Gaza, including at least 66 children and 41 women, according to U.N. figures.

HRW said it interviewed 18 Palestinians who were either witnesses or victims of the airstrikes. It said it also reviewed video footage and photos after the attacks, as well as statements by Israeli and Palestinian officials and Palestinian resistance groups.

Early this year, HRW accused Israel of being guilty of international crimes of apartheid because of discriminatory policies toward Palestinians, both inside Israel as well as in the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip.
 

It also has called on the International Criminal Court to include the recent Gaza war in its ongoing investigation into possible war crimes by Israel. Israel does not recognize the court’s jurisdiction and says it is capable of investigating any possible wrongdoing by its army. It claims the ICC probe is unfair and politically motivated.