(Geneva) The UN on Wednesday expressed “serious concerns” about the Israeli army’s respect for the laws of war, in an investigation into six “emblematic” bombings in the Gaza Strip last year that left at least 218 dead.
In a statement sent by the Israeli representation in Geneva, “the State of Israel firmly rejects the conclusions and factual assertions presented” by the UN.
“The obligation to choose means and methods of warfare that avoid or, at the very least, minimize to the greatest extent possible harm to civilians appears to have been systematically violated during Israel’s bombing campaign,” said High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk in a statement.
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights has released an assessment of six “iconic” attacks carried out last year by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in Gaza, “which resulted in a high number of deaths among civilians and widespread destruction of civilian objects, raising serious concerns regarding the laws of war, the principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution.”
Speaking via video link at a press conference, Ajith Sunghay, the UN representative for human rights in the Palestinian territories, specified that Israel had “launched initiatives in five of the six attacks to establish the facts”, believing that “this is not enough”.
“We have yet to see credible and transparent investigations into these incidents,” added a spokesperson for the High Commission, Ravina Shamdasani.
The report details the six attacks that involved, according to the UN, “the alleged use of GBU-31 (1 ton, 2000 pounds), GBU-32 (500 kilograms, 1000 pounds) and GBU-39 (125 kg) bombs. , 250 pounds) from October 9 to December 2, 2023 on residential buildings, a school, refugee camps and a market.”
The Office “verified 218 deaths from these six attacks and said information received indicated that the death toll could be much higher,” according to the statement.
According to the UN, these types of attacks, when committed as part of a widespread and systematic attack against a civilian population, “may involve crimes against humanity.”
Asked why the UN did not examine the October 17 incident at Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza City, Mr. Sunghay explained that the six attacks were chosen because the UN had ” much more information.”
Hamas initially spoke of hundreds of deaths in this incident and blamed Israel. Israel blamed the misfiring of an Islamic Jihad rocket, a claim supported by the United States. Western intelligence sources suggest a toll much lower than that put forward by Hamas.
Mr. Sunghay explained that the report “focuses quite heavily on Israel, mainly because the weapons” used in the attacks “are not in the possession of Palestinian armed groups.”
Furthermore, he said, the “missiles fired” by Palestinian armed groups, which are “totally unacceptable,” “have not caused a significant number of deaths during the war.”
The statement from the Israeli representation asserts that “the sole objective” of the report is “to castigate and isolate Israel” and deplores that it “does not address Hamas’ deliberate strategy aimed at maximizing harm caused to civilians” by “systematically and illegally implanting its military assets in inhabited areas”.
The High Commission “echoed Hamas’ rhetoric and spread unfounded allegations,” denounced Israeli Ambassador to the UN Meirav Eilon Shahar.
The war broke out on October 7, when Hamas commandos infiltrated from Gaza in southern Israel carried out an attack that resulted in the deaths of 1,194 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally compiled from official Israeli data. Of 251 people kidnapped, 116 are still held hostage in Gaza, of whom 41 are dead, according to the Israeli army.
In response, the Israeli army launched an offensive on the Gaza Strip, which has so far left 37,396 dead, mostly civilians, according to data from the Gaza government’s Ministry of Health.
