(Jerusalem) Human rights organization Amnesty International on Tuesday called for an investigation by the International Criminal Court (ICC) into possible ‘war crimes’ committed by Israel and Palestinian fighters during the escalation in the Strip of Gaza in August.
Posted at 8:19 p.m.
At least 49 Palestinians, including combatants but also civilians and children, died from August 5 to 7 in a confrontation between the Israeli army and the Islamic Jihad group in Gaza, an enclave under Israeli blockade since 2007.
Amnesty International estimates that a total of 31 civilians were killed, according to its report released Tuesday, titled “They Were Just Children: Evidence of War Crimes During Israel’s August 2022 Gaza Offensive”.
The organization investigated three incidents in particular. According to its conclusions, two Israeli attacks caused the death of six Palestinian civilians, including minors, although “the Israeli authorities praised the precision of their operation”.
In the third case reviewed by Amnesty, seven Palestinian civilians were killed in an “attack” that was “clearly caused by an unguided rocket fired by Palestinian armed groups”.
The Islamist movement Hamas, in power in the Gaza Strip, had indicated that it had stayed away from this escalation, unlike Islamic Jihad, the second armed Islamist movement in this impoverished Palestinian territory of 2.3 million inhabitants.
“The latest Israeli offensive against Gaza lasted only three days, but that was more than enough to cause further trauma and destruction for this beleaguered population,” said Amnesty Secretary General Agnès Callamard.
“The three deadly attacks we examined must be investigated as war crimes; all victims of unlawful attacks and their loved ones must obtain justice and redress,” she added.
The ICC announced in 2021 the opening of an investigation into alleged crimes committed in the Palestinian Territories since 2014, an initiative rejected by Israel – not a member of the Court – but welcomed by the Palestinians.
Israel and Palestinian armed groups have fought four wars since the Islamist movement Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007.