Final Gaza toll: 960 civilians, 239 police officers killed

A Palestinian human rights group released the final toll in the recent Israel/Palestinian war in Gaza. Among the 1,434 people killed, 960 were civilians, 239 were police officers and 235 were Hamas fighters.

The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) released this report today on their website. Israel retaliated after Hamas fighters fired rockets into their territory. Israel attacked Gaza via air, ground and sea forces between December 27 and January 18. During this war, several civilians including women and children were killed by the bombings. The Palestinian Center for Human Rights reports that nearly 84 percent of the killed were civilians (including the police officers). Among the civilian deaths, 288 were children and 121 were women. On the Israeli side, 13 were killed during the Gaza war including three by rockets fired into Israel. In another report the Ministry of Health said a total of 5,303 Palestinians were injured in the Gaza attacks, including 1,606 children and 828 women. The PCHR said in their report:

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights' investigations reveal that throughout the course of the assault, Israeli Occupation Forces used excessive, indiscriminate force, in violation of the principle of distinction.

You can read the full report here. The principal of distinction should be followed by all participants in the war -- it obliges them to distinguish between combatants and non-combatants. PCHR says Israel violated this rule. An Israeli military spokesman responded and said the army had "made every effort to minimize harm to the civilian population during the fighting". The Israeli army said it gave enough warnings for the civilians to leave the territory but they didn’t do so. It also calls the allegations “absurd and false” that they intentionally harmed civilians. PCHR will publish the names of the dead on its site very soon in both Arabic and English languages. Also read Digital Journalist Sameh A. Habeeb's personal experience during the war in Gaza.