The Israeli killing of a whole lot of Palestinians in a navy raid to recuperate 4 hostages from Gaza over the weekend might have amounted to struggle crimes, the U.N. human rights workplace (OHCHR) stated Tuesday.
The OHCHR accused the Palestinian resistance teams of the identical crime for holding captives in densely populated areas.
Israel claimed the operation, accompanied by an air assault, befell Saturday within the coronary heart of a residential neighborhood in central Gaza’s Nuseirat space the place Hamas had stored the hostages in two separate condo blocks.
The operation killed not less than 274 Palestinians, in response to Gazan well being officers.
“We are profoundly shocked at the impact on civilians of the Israeli forces’ operation in An Nuseirat at the weekend to secure the release of four hostages,” spokesperson Jeremy Laurence advised reporters in Geneva.
“Hundreds of Palestinians, many of them civilians, were reportedly killed and injured.”
“The manner in which the raid was conducted in such a densely populated area seriously calls into question whether the principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution – as set out under the laws of war – were respected by the Israeli forces,” Laurence stated.
Asked about figures supplied by the Gaza Health Ministry, he stated that previous to Oct. 7, when there was larger chance to test, the U.N. had persistently discovered “the numbers they provide us are … very close to being 100% accurate.”
The U.N. rights workplace has had restricted entry to confirm numbers for the reason that struggle began however Laurence stated it nonetheless had contacts on the bottom “who are reliable.”
Asked about hostages held in Gaza, Laurence stated this was additionally “prohibited by international law.”
He added that the holding of hostages in such densely populated areas by the Palestinian teams was “putting the lives of Palestinian civilians, as well as the hostages themselves, at added risk from the hostilities.”
“All these actions, by both parties, may amount to war crimes,” he stated.
The battle was triggered by the Oct. 7 Hamas incursion, which resulted within the dying of greater than 1,170 folks in Israel, in response to official Israeli figures.
Out of 252 folks taken hostage that day, 120 are nonetheless being held contained in the Gaza Strip, together with not less than 43 who the military says are useless.
Israel has killed over 37,000 Palestinians, principally girls and kids, within the Gaza Strip since, in response to the Gazan Health Ministry.
Source: www.dailysabah.com