United Nations Human Rights Council reports possibility of war crimes by both Israel and Palestinian militants
A report by the United Nations Human Rights Council released Monday found that both Israeli forces and Palestinian militants committed "serious violations of international humanitarian law" and may be guilty of war crimes in the Gaza Strip during hostilities last summer.
Palestinian groups are accused of firing 4,881 rockets and 1,753 mortars at Israeli citizens with an "inherently indiscriminate nature," in addition to executing suspected collaborators. The report additionally calls on Israel to "break with its recent lamentable track record in holding wrongdoers accountable" and condemns trade and travel restrictions on Gaza residents. It also harshly criticized Israel's artillery fire and air strikes, saying they may have directly targeted civilians and constituted war crimes.
"The high incidence of loss of human life and injury in Gaza is heartbreaking," the U.N. commission said in their report. According to their numbers, 2,251 Palestinians were killed in the summer of 2014.
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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