Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused Israel of committing war crimes by attacking three United Nations-run schools in the Gaza Strip in fighting in July and August, killing Palestinian civilians sheltering there.
The New York-based group issued a report yesterday that it described as the first in-depth documentation of the incidents, which took place during a 50-day conflict between Israel and Palestinian militants that ended in a ceasefire on August 26th.
“Three Israeli attacks that damaged Gaza schools housing displaced people caused numerous civilian casualties in violation of the laws of war,” it said in the report, based on interviews with witnesses and field research in the Hamas Islamist-dominated enclave.
The group also said it was sceptical about the credibility of five criminal investigations announced by Israel’s military on Wednesday into its Gaza war operations.
HRW said 45 people, including 17 children, were killed in or near the “well- marked schools” in the strikes on July 24th in the northern Gaza town of Beit Hanoun, on July 30th in Jabalya refugee camp and on August 3rd in Rafah, in the south of the enclave.
It said its inspection of the Beit Hanoun site and photographs of munitions remnants suggested Israel fired mortars at the school, killing 13 people. – (Reuters)