Amnesty Int.: Evidence of Israeli war crimes, 46 civilian killings

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
20 Nov 2023 16:51
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Amnesty International urges the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to take concrete steps immediately to expedite the investigation into war crimes in the Gaza Strip.

Palestinian relative carries the body of child Fawze Musleh, killed in the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip, at the morgue of al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al Balah, Gaza Strip, Sunday, November 19, 2023. (AP)

Amnesty International, in its continuous investigation into violations of the laws of war, has recorded two representative incidents where Israeli airstrikes resulted in the killing of 46 civilians, including 20 children. The age range of the victims spanned from an 80-year-old woman to a three-month-old baby.

These attacks are deemed to be potential war crimes and necessitate a thorough investigation, Amnesty International acknowledged.

The airstrikes occurred on October 19 and 20, targeting a church where hundreds of displaced civilians sought refuge in Gaza City and a residence in the al-Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza.

Gaza |

The Israeli massacre against the Palestinian Christian community after bombing the Church of Saint Porphyrius (3th oldest church in the world), leading to 40 Palestinians murdered.

Death tolls expected to dramatically rise in the upcoming hours pic.twitter.com/8dKpFWsZ6d
— Younis Tirawi | يونس (@ytirawi) October 19, 2023

Following an in-depth investigation, Amnesty International has concluded that these strikes were either indiscriminate attacks or direct assaults on civilians or civilian structures, demanding an inquiry into potential war crimes.

Israeli attacks showcase a blatant disregard for Palestinian civilians: Amnesty

Erika Guevara-Rosas, Amnesty International’s Director of Global Research, Advocacy and Policy, emphasized the distressing impact of these attacks, showcasing a blatant disregard for Palestinian civilians and underscoring the urgent need for a ceasefire.

"We urge the International Criminal Court’s prosecutor to take immediate concrete action to expedite the investigation into war crimes and other crimes under international law opened in 2021," Guevara-Rosas said.

"The harrowing accounts from survivors and relatives of victims describing the devastating human toll of these bombardments offer a snapshot of the mass civilian suffering being inflicted daily across Gaza by the Israeli military’s relentless attacks, underscoring the urgent need for an immediate ceasefire," she added.

"I want Ahmad!" cries a #Palestinian man who's trying to contact his friend who's under the rubble.#Gaza #GazaUnderAttack pic.twitter.com/JQMT6rvRGc
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) November 20, 2023

The human rights group visited the strike sites, documented the aftermath, and interviewed 14 individuals, including survivors, witnesses, and church leaders. The organization utilized satellite imagery and open-source material to verify the attacks. Despite sending questions to the Israeli military's spokesperson unit, no response was received at the time of publication.

In further detail, Amnesty International's research found no indication that the targeted buildings could be considered military objectives or were used by fighters.

These findings build upon prior documentation of unlawful Israeli strikes during the current escalation and previous operations in Gaza. The intensity of the current bombardment, with its high civilian casualty count and extensive damage to civilian infrastructure, is unprecedented for Gaza, as per Amnesty International.