Amnesty International:

Israel’s attacks were unlawful on several occasions

Amnesty International has now criticized that attacks by the Israeli military in the Gaza Strip were unlawful.(Bild: AP)

Amnesty International has investigated four attacks by the Israeli military in the Gaza Strip and has come to the conclusion that international humanitarian law was disregarded. Entire families were wiped out with impunity.

Attacks on Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip were investigated. Three of these were carried out in December after the end of the humanitarian ceasefire and one in January 2024. A total of 95 civilians were killed, almost half of them children. According to Amnesty International, there was no indication that the residential buildings attacked could be considered legitimate military targets or that the people in the buildings were military targets.

Rather, the Israeli military had failed to issue an effective warning before the attacks began - at least to the residents of the places attacked. Three of the four attacks were carried out at night while the civilian population was in their homes and beds.

Cooking in Rafah(Bild: AFP)

Aid deliveries(Bild: APA/AFP/MOHAMMED ABED)

Children in the destroyed Gaza Strip(Bild: APA/AFP)

Only supposed security
"Entire families have been wiped out in Israeli attacks, even though they had sought refuge in areas deemed safe and had not been warned by the Israeli authorities (...)", said Erika Guevara-Rosas, Senior Director of Research at Amnesty International on Monday. On January 26, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) had already ruled that there was an imminent and real risk of genocide.

The human rights organization also criticized the tightened closure of the Gaza Strip, the lack of access to water and food, which has contributed to severe hunger, as well as the destruction of health and educational facilities. All states should work towards an immediate ceasefire and take measures to prevent ongoing crimes under international law. A comprehensive arms embargo against Israel and armed Palestinian groups would contribute to this.