Israel’s recent barrage of deadly airstrikes on Gaza might be war crimes, the UN rights chief said Thursday, adding she had seen no evidence the attacked buildings were used for military purposes.
Addressing a special session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, Michelle Bachelet voiced deep concern about the surge in deadly violence between Israelis and Palestinians earlier this month.
#UPDATE Israel's recent barrage of deadly airstrikes on Gaza might be war crimes, UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet tells a special session of the UN Human Rights Council, adding she has seen no evidence the attacked buildings were used for military purposes pic.twitter.com/e9Pdl8POvw
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) May 27, 2021
“Although Israel undertook a number of precautions, such as advance warning of attacks in some cases, airstrikes in such densely populated areas resulted in a high level of civilian fatalities and injuries, as well as the widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure,” the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said.
“If found to be indiscriminate and disproportionate in their impact on civilians and civilian objects, such attacks may constitute war crimes.”
Before a truce took hold last Friday, Israeli airstrikes and artillery fire on Gaza killed over 250 Palestinians, including 66 children, and wounded more than 1,900 people in 11 days of conflict, the health ministry in Gaza says.
“There is no doubt that Israel has the right to defend its citizens and residents,” Bachelet said. “However, Palestinians have rights too. The same rights.”
#BREAKING
UNHR chief says #Israel's strikes on #Gaza may be war crimes▪️UNHR chief Bachelet said that Israel's strikes on Gaza may constitute war crimes if they are shown to be disproportionate.
▪️"If found disproportionate, such attacks might constitute war crimes", she said. pic.twitter.com/ZdxmqKTQn6— EHA News (@eha_news) May 27, 2021
The UN rights chief highlighted the scale of the destruction in Gaza.
“Although reportedly targeting members of armed groups and their military infrastructure, Israeli attacks resulted in extensive civilian deaths and injuries, as well as large-scale destruction and damage to civilian objects,” she said.
She pointed out that governmental buildings, residential homes, international humanitarian organizations, medical facilities and media offices had been hit.
Jewish Groups that Aid #Israel’s #WarCrimes Can’t Deny All responsibility for Those Crimes https://t.co/H4nMgUfPR1 via @PalestineChron pic.twitter.com/oScybuxsJ4
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) May 27, 2021
“Despite Israel’s claims that many of these buildings were hosting armed groups or being used for military purposes, we have not seen evidence in this regard,” she said.
The 47-member council was debating a draft resolution to launch a broad, international investigation into violations surrounding the latest Gaza violence, but also of “systematic” abuses in the Palestinian territories and inside Israel.
(The New Arab, PC, Social Media)
