The Israeli military displayed “shocking disregard” for civilian lives in Gaza during its recent devastating war, Amnesty International said in a report Wednesday.
“The report reveals a pattern of frequent Israeli attacks using large aerial bombs to level civilian homes, sometimes killing entire families,” Amnesty said.
“The devastation to civilian lives... was clearly disproportionate,” it added.
The report charged that when it appeared to have failed to identify “any possible military target” in a Gaza residential building, Israel may have “directly and deliberately targeted civilians or civilian objects, which would constitute war crimes.”
“The report exposes a pattern of attacks on civilian homes by Israeli forces which have shown a shocking disregard for the lives of Palestinian civilians, who were given no warning and had no chance to flee,” said Philip Luther, Amnesty’s director for the Middle East and North Africa.
Israel launched a 50-day war on the Gaza Strip in early July. About 2,140 Palestinians, mostly civilians, including women, children and elderly people, were killed in the Israeli onslaught. Around 11,000 others were injured. Tens of Israeli soldiers were also killed by the Palestinian resistance retaliatory attacks.
