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Gaza: Palestinian Rockets Unlawfully Targeted Israeli Civilians

(Human Rights Watch) Palestinian armed groups in Gaza violated the laws of war by launching 1,500 rockets toward population centers in Israel between Nov. 14 and 21. The rocket attacks killed three Israeli civilians, wounded at least 38, several seriously, and destroyed civilian property. Rockets that fell short of their intended targets killed at least two Palestinians in Gaza and wounded others, Human Rights Watch said. "Palestinian armed groups made clear in their statements that harming civilians was their aim," said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at HRW. "There is simply no legal justification for launching rockets at populated areas." Under international humanitarian law, or the laws of war, civilians and civilian structures may not be subject to deliberate attacks or attacks that do not discriminate between civilians and military targets. Anyone who commits serious laws-of-war violations intentionally or recklessly is responsible for war crimes. In addition, armed groups repeatedly fired rockets from densely populated areas, near homes, businesses, and a hotel, unnecessarily placing civilians in the vicinity at grave risk from Israeli counter-fire. [Iran] supplying weaponry to a party to a conflict knowing that it is likely to be used to commit war crimes constitutes the aiding and abetting of war crimes.
2012-12-24 00:00:00
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