UN report: Israeli bombing of Gaza Strip may have violated laws of war

(NewsNation) — Israeli forces in Gaza may have failed to distinguish between civilians and combatants, violating the laws of war, according to a new United Nations human rights report.

The UN found that Israel used large quantities of explosives in six bombings in densely populated areas between October 7 and December 2, 2023, thereby “systematically” violating the “principles of distinction, proportionality and caution in attacks.”

The possible war crimes would have led to “a high number of civilian deaths and injuries as well as the destruction of civilian objects.”

In five of these attacks, Israel gave no warning. In total, at least 218 people were killed in the six “symbolic” attacks, the report says.

“The requirement to select means and methods of warfare so as to avoid or at least minimize harm to the civilian population appears to have been consistently violated in Israel’s bombing campaign,” Volker Turk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, told Reuters.

The head of a UN commission of inquiry, Navi Pillay, reportedly said perpetrators on both sides must be held accountable for war crimes, citing the findings of a separate UN human rights report.

This report states that although both Hamas fighters and Israel have committed war crimes, Israel alone has committed the most “crimes against humanity.”

The UN called on Israel to “ensure a full investigation into the specific incidents mentioned in this report and to make the results public.”