Amnesty International says Israel committed war crimes

Amnesty International released a report today that condemns Israel's role in the conflict with the Palestine-based Hamas. While the group found Israel culpable of war crimes, there was also similar criticism for Hamas.

Called Operation 'Cast Lead': 22 days of death and destruction, the Amnesty International report is the first in-depth examination of what occurred in late December 2008 and January 2009 after Israel launched a 22-day military offensive against Hamas. While both sides involved in the conflict were blamed for the deaths of hundreds of civilians, only Israel was accused of using children as human shields in the fighting last winter over the Gaza strip. Amnesty International says that Israel killed hundreds of unarmed civilians and destroyed thousands of homes, which constitute war crimes. According to the report, Israel continues to refuse to co-operate with a United Nations fact-finding mission. Amnesty International also claimed that Hamas committed war crimes by firing hundreds of rockets into Israel, killing people and destroying homes. The 22 day conflict saw the deaths of 1,400 Palestinians, of which 300 were children. The Amnesty report says that most of the deaths did not occur as a result of people being caught in a crossfire, but rather through the bombing of homes while people slept, or were engaged in everyday activities, such as laundry.

"Paramedics and ambulances were repeatedly attacked while attempting to rescue the wounded or recover the dead."

Amnesty International's findings were backed up by reports from the Red Cross and Human Rights Watch on the fighting in Gaza which were released last month. The International Red Cross report, Gaza: 1.5 million people trapped in despair, says that Gazans are still struggling to rebuild their lives after the 22 day offensive launched by Israel. That report concludes by saying,

"Over the last two years, the 1.5 million Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip have been caught up in an unending cycle of deprivation and despair as a result of the conflict, and particularly as a direct consequence of the closure of the crossing points. The ICRC has repeatedly pointed out that Israel’s right to address its legitimate security concerns must be balanced against the right of the population in Gaza to lead a normal and dignified life. Under international humanitarian law, Israel has the obligation to ensure that the population's basic needs in terms of food, shelter, water

and medical supplies are met. The ICRC once again appeals for a lifting of restrictions on the movement of people and goods as the first and most urgent measure to end Gaza's isolation and to allow its people to rebuild their lives."

Human Rights Watch released its report, Precisely Wrong, on June 30th and in it, claims that Israel used precision drones to target and kill civilians. Israel is resisting criticism, saying that the report is not fair and accurate, because it blames only Israel. The United Nations Human Rights Commission has been investigating the Israeli offensive. In a statement to the press this morning, Israel's military spokeswoman, Colonel LeibovitchIsrael claimed that Hamas was the faction that used human shields. Amnesty International is a global non-profit group that works to protect human rights.