Amnesty International (AI) said Monday it was “deeply alarmed” by the increasing number of civilian deaths in Gaza, the occupied West Bank and Israel and called for an end to hostilities between Israelis and Palestinians.
In a statement released this Monday, the London-based human rights organization underlines that civilians on both sides are “paying the price for the unprecedented escalation of hostilities between Israel and Gaza.”
“We are deeply alarmed by the increasing number of civilian deaths in Gaza, Israel and the occupied West Bank and urgently call on all parties to the conflict to respect international law and make every effort to prevent further bloodshed between the civilians,” said Agnès. Callamard, secretary general of Amnesty International, cited in the statement.
“Under international humanitarian law, all parties to the conflict have a clear obligation to protect the lives of civilians involved in hostilities. […] “Israeli security forces and Palestinian armed groups must make every effort to protect civilian lives,” he added.
According to AI, the “escalation of violence began with Hamas firing rockets into Israel” and “launching an unprecedented operation by its fighters in southern Israel, where civilians were also attacked and kidnapped.”
“Deliberately targeting civilians, carrying out disproportionate attacks, and indiscriminate attacks that kill or injure civilians are war crimes. Israel has a horrific record of committing war crimes with impunity in previous wars in Gaza. Palestinian armed groups in Gaza must refrain from attacking civilians and using indiscriminate weapons, as they have also done in the past and, more intensely, in this case, acts that constitute war crimes,” the organization said.
According to the most recent data released by the Palestinian Ministry of Health, Israel’s retaliatory attack on Gaza killed at least 413 people and injured around 2,300. For its part, the Israeli Ministry of Health reported that there were at least 700 dead and more than 2,234 injured in attacks by Palestinian armed groups.
The Israeli army confirmed to the media that Israeli civilians, “supposedly also children”, as well as soldiers, were kidnapped by Palestinian armed groups and taken hostage, AI states in the document.
“The kidnapping of civilians and the taking of hostages are prohibited under international law and may constitute war crimes. All civilians held hostage must be released immediately and unharmed. All captives must be treated humanely, in accordance with international law, and receive medical treatment,” AI highlights.
For the international organization, the root causes of these repeated cycles of violence must be addressed “as a matter of urgency.”
“To do this, it is necessary to respect international law and end Israel’s illegal 16-year blockade of Gaza, as well as all other aspects of the apartheid system imposed by Israel on all Palestinians,” he says. AI. , for whom the Israeli Government “must refrain from inciting violence and tensions” in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, especially around religious sites.
The Islamic group Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israeli territory this Saturday, called Operation “Al-Aqsa Storm”, with the launch of thousands of rockets and the incursion of armed militiamen by land, sea and air.
In response to the surprise attack, Israel bombed several Hamas facilities in the Gaza Strip from the air, in an operation it called “Iron Swords.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Israel is “at war” with Hamas.
Source: TSF
