Israeli rights group says regime committing war crimes in Gaza

The Israeli human rights group B’Tselem says Israel is committing war crimes in the Gaza Strip, as the Tel Aviv regime presses ahead with its deadly bombardment of the besieged enclave for the seventh consecutive day.

B’Tselem said in a report on Saturday that Israel has caused severe damage to the infrastructure in Gaza, stressing that the blockaded enclave has not witnessed such amount of destruction and killing since 2014, the Palestinian Information Center reported.

According to Press TV, the rights group went on to say that power and water supplies, commercial shops, agricultural lands as well as three hospitals have been destroyed, as Israel continues to pound Gaza with repeated airstrikes.

B’Tselem further said Israeli forces martyred at least ten Palestinians and wounded 251 others in the West Bank on Friday, of whom 26 are in critical condition, adding that the Occupied Territory has not witnessed such a high rate of killings since 2002.  

“The Israeli regime practices systematic violence against the Palestinians everywhere in the Occupied Territories”, it said.

"In Gaza, ever since Operation Guardian of the Walls began, Israel has bombed and shelled civilian population centers and residential buildings, including high-rises housing dozens of families. The UN estimates that more than 10,000 Palestinians have left their homes and sought shelter in 29 UNRWA schools. Israel has reportedly caused massive damage to businesses, electricity and water infrastructure, roads and farmland. Three hospitals have reportedly been damaged: the hospital in Beit Hanoun, the Indonesian Hospital and the Hala a-Shawa Medical Center (currently not operating)," the rights group said.

It added, "Gaza’s besieged civilians have nowhere to run to hide from the strikes. Tens of thousands of families cannot protect themselves. Israel repeatedly boasts that it takes care to safeguard civilians’ lives and claims all its actions are lawful. For instance, regarding the bombing of residential high-rises, Israel has claimed they were empty as it had warned the occupants prior to the strike. This claim ignores the fact that the buildings in question cannot be considered legitimate military targets, both because they are inhabited by civilians and because their destruction provides Israel with no military advantage. Targeting civilian objects is prohibited and constitutes a war crime."

Media reports say Israeli warplanes have conducted 150 raids on Gaza since the early hours of Sunday. That’s the most intensive airstrike launched on the enclave over the past seven days.

ME