*A new OHCHR *[UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights] *report details how Israeli "attacks of an apparent indiscriminate nature" fit a wider pattern for hundreds of such bombings that may violate international laws of war.* by Jake Johnson, Common Dreams, June 19 https://www.commondreams.org/news/israel-united-nations
The United Nations Human Rights Office released a report Wednesday concluding that the Israeli military's repeated use of heavy weaponry—including 2,000-pound bombs supplied by <https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/u-s-sends-israel-2-000-pound-bunker-buster-bombs-for-gaza-war-82898638> the United States—in the Gaza <https://www.commondreams.org/tag/gaza> Strip has likely violated international laws of war b . . . Volker Türk, the U.N. high commissioner for human rights, said in a statement <https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/06/un-report-israeli-use-heavy-bombs-gaza-raises-serious-concerns-under-laws> Wednesday that "the requirement to select means and methods of warfare that avoid or at the very least minimize to every extent civilian harm appears to have been consistently violated in Israel's bombing campaign." The human rights office's report is the latest of several recent U.N. analyses <https://www.commondreams.org/news/un-commission-of-inquiry-israel> accusing Israeli forces of committing grave war crimes in Gaza—including torture, using starvation as a weapon of war, and genocide <https://www.commondreams.org/news/gaza-genocide-2667597341>—as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu demands more weaponry <https://www.commondreams.org/news/benjamin-netanyahu-video> from the U.S. to continue its devastating assault. *Reuters *reported <https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-tanks-push-deeper-into-rafah-forcing-people-flee-again-2024-06-19/> Wednesday that "Israeli tanks backed by warplanes and drones advanced deeper into the western part of the Gaza Strip city of Rafah," killing at least eight people and forcing more residents to run for their lives. At least a million <https://www.commondreams.org/news/million-flee-rafah> people have fled Rafah since Israel began invading the city last month. . . . *Israel Has “Systematically Violated” Laws Regarding Civilian Harm, UN Finds* by Sharon Zhang, Truthout, June 20, 2024 https://truthout.org/articles/israel-has-systematically-violated-laws-regarding-civilian-harm-un-finds/ . . . It is a violation of international law to not make every attempt possible to avoid civilian deaths in military objectives; dozens or hundreds of collateral deaths is typically not considered acceptable even for extremely high-level targets like commanders. According to the analysis, in 87 percent of Israel’s attacks since October, over five people have been killed, while 10 or more have been killed in over 60 percent of Israel’s attacks. This proportion alone suggests widespread war crimes, the report said. Meanwhile, the very use of 2,000, 1,000 and 250 pound bombs in these densely populated areas could amount to wartime violations. Further, the UNHCR wrote, the launching of such large bombs in this way could indicate direct attacks on civilians. Meanwhile, Israeli officials have been clear about their objectives, as the report points out. In October, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Major General Ghassan Alian referred to“Hamas and the residents of Gaza” as “human beasts” and told them, “you wanted hell, you will get hell.” The report quoted another IDF spokesperson saying at the beginning of Israel’s current incursion into Gaza that they’re “focused on what causes maximum damage.” # # # -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Groups.io Links: You receive all messages sent to this group. View/Reply Online (#30833): https://groups.io/g/marxmail/message/30833 Mute This Topic: https://groups.io/mt/106791122/21656 -=-=- POSTING RULES & NOTES #1 YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message. #2 This mail-list, like most, is publicly & permanently archived. #3 Subscribe and post under an alias if #2 is a concern. #4 Do not exceed five posts a day. -=-=- Group Owner: [email protected] Unsubscribe: https://groups.io/g/marxmail/leave/8674936/21656/1316126222/xyzzy [[email protected]] -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
