The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights accuses Israel of systematic violations of the laws of war by using heavy bombs to destroy civilian infrastructure in densely populated areas of Gaza. In a new report, the UN High Commissioner investigated six Israeli attacks that targeted residential buildings, a school, refugee camps and a market. The UN confirmed at least 218 deaths in these six attacks.
Meanwhile, Navi Pillay, chair of a separate UN inquiry into the war, testified before the UN Human Rights Council.
Navi Pillay: “The Israeli authorities are responsible for war crimes, crimes against humanity and violations of international humanitarian law and human rights, including extermination, deliberate attacks on civilians and civilian objects, murder or intentional killing, the use of starvation as a method of war, forced displacement, gender-based persecution of Palestinian men and boys, sexual and gender-based violence amounting to torture, and cruel or inhuman treatment.”
During her testimony, the UN’s Navi Pillay also accused Hamas and Islamic Jihad of committing war crimes. The UN’s findings will be submitted to the International Criminal Court. This comes as the official death toll in Gaza has exceeded 37,400. On Wednesday, an Israeli airstrike killed nine Palestinians waiting for aid trucks at the Kerem Shalom crossing. At least eight other Palestinians were killed in Rafah. Meanwhile, officials in Gaza say Israel has destroyed the Palestinian side of the Rafah crossing, which connects Gaza with Egypt. The crossing has been closed since Israel captured the territory in early May.
