Damning evidence of war crimes as Israeli attacks wipe out entire families in Gaza

 

As Israeli forces continue to intensify their cataclysmic assault on the occupied Gaza Strip, Amnesty International has documented unlawful Israeli attacks, including indiscriminate attacks, which caused mass civilian casualties and must be investigated as war crimes.

The organization spoke to survivors and eyewitnesses, analysed satellite imagery, and verified photos and videos to investigate air bombardments carried out by Israeli forces between 7 and 12 October, which caused horrific destruction, and in some cases wiped out entire families. Here the organization presents an in-depth analysis of its findings in five of these unlawful attacks. In each of these cases, Israeli attacks violated international humanitarian law, including by failing to take feasible precautions to spare civilians, or by carrying out indiscriminate attacks that failed to distinguish between civilians and military objectives, or by carrying out attacks that may have been directed against civilian objects.

“In their stated intent to use all means to destroy Hamas, Israeli forces have shown a shocking disregard for civilian lives. They have pulverized street after street of residential buildings killing civilians on a mass scale and destroying essential infrastructure, while new restrictions mean Gaza is fast running out of water, medicine, fuel and electricity. Testimonies from eyewitness and survivors highlighted, again and again, how Israeli attacks decimated Palestinian families, causing such destruction that surviving relatives have little but rubble to remember their loved ones by,” said Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General.

SWAHILI

Ushahidi wa kushtua wa uhalifu wa kivita unavyoongezeka wakati mashambulizi ya Israel yanapoangamiza familia nzima huko Gaza.

Jeshi la Israel linaendelea kuongeza nguvu katika shambulio lake la kuharibu Ukanda wa Gaza uliokaliwa, Amnesty International imeorodhesha mashambulizi yasiyofuata sheria ya Israel, ikiwa ni pamoja na mashambulizi yasiyochagua, ambayo yalisababisha idadi kubwa ya raia kuuawa na yanapaswa kuchunguzwa kama uhalifu wa kivita.

Shirika hilo lilizungumza na manusura na mashahidi, kuchambua picha za satelaiti, na kuthibitisha picha na video kuchunguza mashambulizi ya anga yaliyofanywa na jeshi la Israel kati ya tarehe 7 na 12 Oktoba, ambayo yalisababisha uharibifu mkubwa, na katika baadhi ya kesi kusababisha kutoweka kwa familia nzima. Hapa shirika linawasilisha uchambuzi wa kina wa matokeo yake katika mashambulizi matano yasiyofuata sheria. Katika kila moja ya kesi hizi, mashambulizi ya Israel yalikiuka sheria ya kimataifa ya kibinadamu, ikiwa ni pamoja na kushindwa kuchukua tahadhari za kutosha kuokoa raia, au kutekeleza mashambulizi yasiyochagua ambayo hayakutofautisha kati ya raia na malengo ya kijeshi, au kufanya mashambulizi ambayo yalikuwa yanaweza kuwa yameelekezwa dhidi ya vitu vya raia.

"Katika nia yao iliyotangazwa ya kutumia njia zote kuiharibu Hamas, vikosi vya Israel vimeonyesha kutokujali kuhusu maisha ya raia. Wameharibu mitaa baada ya mitaa, majengo ya makazi wakiua raia kwa kiwango kikubwa na kuharibu miundombinu muhimu, wakati sheria mpya zinafanya Gaza ikose maji, dawa, mafuta, na umeme haraka. Shuhuda kutoka kwa mashahidi na manusura zimeonyesha maradufu mashambulizi ya Israel yalivyosambaratisha familia za Wapalestina, kusababisha uharibifu mkubwa ambao ndugu walionusurika wana kumbukumbu ndogo ila yenye maumivu kwa kuwakumbuka wapendwa wao," alisema Agnès Callamard, Katibu Mkuu wa Amnesty International.