Israel Has “Systematically Violated” Laws Regarding Civilian Harm, UN Finds
Israeli forces have demonstrated a pattern of systematically targeting densely populated civilian areas across hundreds of attacks in Gaza that likely violate international wartime laws, the office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) found in a report released Wednesday.
“Monitoring by OHCHR strongly indicates that the Israeli Defense Forces have systematically failed to comply with the following fundamental principles of international humanitarian law in its conduct of hostilities in Gaza since 7 October: the principle of distinction, the prohibition of indiscriminate attacks, the principle of proportionality and the principle of precautions in attack,” the report said.
According to the analysis, in 87 percent of Israel’s attacks since October, over five people have been killed, while 10 or more have been killed in over 60 percent of Israel’s attacks. This proportion alone suggests widespread war crimes, the report said. Meanwhile, the very use of 2,000, 1,000 and 250 pound bombs in these densely populated areas could amount to wartime violations. Further, the UNHCR wrote, the launching of such large bombs in this way could indicate direct attacks on civilians.
Meanwhile, Israeli officials have been clear about their objectives, as the report points out. In October, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Major General Ghassan Alian referred to “Hamas and the residents of Gaza” as “human beasts” and told them, “you wanted hell, you will get hell.” The report quoted another IDF spokesperson saying at the beginning of Israel’s current incursion into Gaza that they’re “focused on what causes maximum damage.”
