Israel/Gaza: UN must impose arms embargo and

mandate an international investigation as civilian

death toll rises

As the violence intensifies there is an urgent need for the UN to mandate an international
independent fact-finding mission to Gaza and Israel to investigate violations of international
humanitarian law by all parties to the conflict. his is the first crucial step towards ensuring
that those who have committed war crimes or other serious violations can be held accountable.
!
Philip Luther, Director of the Middle East and North Africa Programme at Amnesty
International
Fri, 11/!/"1#
Amnesty International is calling for a UN-mandated international investigation into violations
committed on all sides amidst ongoing Israeli air stri"es across the Gaza #trip and continuing
volleys of indiscriminate roc"et fire from $alestinian armed groups into Israel.
A member of the $alestinian Abu %ealla family e&amines the damage to his destroyed house following an Israeli airstri"e north of Gaza 'ity on( )) *uly
+,)-.
11 $uly "1#
#ince Israel launched .peration $rotective /dge! in the early morning of 0 *uly( more than
),, $alestinians have been "illed in the Gaza #trip( most of them civilians who were not
directly participating in hostilities. his includes at least +- children and )1 women as of 2riday
morning. 3ore than 1,, people have been wounded( many of them seriously. 3ore than 4-,
homes in Gaza have been completely destroyed or left uninhabitable and at least five health
facilities and three ambulances have been damaged. In Israel( at least +, people have been
wounded by roc"et attac"s and property has been damaged.
As the violence intensifies there is an urgent need for the UN to mandate an international
independent fact-finding mission to Gaza and Israel to investigate violations of international
humanitarian law by all parties to the conflict. his is the first crucial step towards ensuring
that those who have committed war crimes or other serious violations can be held accountable(!
said $hilip %uther( 5irector of the 3iddle /ast and North Africa $rogramme at Amnesty
International.
he international community must not repeat previous mista"es( standing by and watching the
devastating conse6uences for civilians of both sides failing to abide by and enforce the laws of
war. #wift UN action is needed as lives hang in the balance.!
Amnesty International is also calling on the UN to immediately impose a comprehensive arms
embargo on Israel( 7amas and $alestinian armed groups with the aim of preventing further
serious violations of international humanitarian law and human rights by the parties to the
conflict. $ending such an embargo( all states must immediately suspend all transfers of military
e6uipment( assistance and munitions to the parties( which have failed to properly investigate
violations committed in previous conflicts or bring those responsible to 8ustice.
Israeli air stri"es have targeted civilian homes in Gaza on the basis that they are the family
homes of 7amas operatives!( according to statements by the Israeli military( destroying the
homes after warning the families to leave. 7owever( in several such cases no evidence has
emerged to indicate that the alleged 7amas operatives! were inside the homes at the time of
the attac"( that the homes were being used to store munitions( or otherwise were being used for
military purposes.
Unless the Israeli authorities can provide specific information to show how a home is being
used to ma"e an effective contribution to military actions( deliberately attac"ing civilian homes
constitutes a war crime and also amounts to collective punishment against the families(! said
$hilip %uther.
In other cases( civilians have been "illed in Israeli air stri"es on or ne&t to their homes. In the
first three days of the military operation( Israeli air stri"es on or ad8acent to houses "illed at
least 4+ civilians( including multiple members of the 9arawa:( al-7a88( 7amad( al-Nawasra(
and 3ala"a families; at least two of the houses were reportedly attac"ed without warning.
.ther civilian homes have been hit using the "noc" on the roof! procedure( in which Israeli
forces fire a small missile at the home as a warning!( before firing another missile which
destroys the home. In some but not all cases( families receive telephone calls from the Israeli
military in advance.
here is no way that firing a missile at a civilian home can constitute an effective <warning:.
Amnesty International has documented cases of civilians "illed or in8ured by such missiles in
previous Israeli military operations on the Gaza #trip(! said $hilip %uther.

Nine civilians( including two children( were also "illed on =ednesday night in an Israeli air
stri"e on a caf> on the beach near 9han ?ounis( where dozens of people had gathered to watch
a =orld 'up match.
3eanwhile( $alestinian armed groups in the Gaza #trip have fired more than 1,,
indiscriminate roc"ets at Israel( including at ma8or Israeli cities such as *erusalem( el Aviv(
@e:er #heva( Ash"elon and 7adera( placing millions of people at ris". A 7amas spo"esperson
has stated that all Israelis are legitimate targets.
2iring indiscriminate roc"ets( which cannot be aimed accurately at military targets( is a war
crime( as is deliberately targeting civilians(! said $hilip %uther.
here can be no e&cuse for either side failing to protect civilians( including 8ournalists( medics
and humanitarian wor"ers( or civilian facilities.!
Amnesty International is also calling on Israel and /gypt to ensure that sufficient amounts of
medical and humanitarian supplies are allowed into Gaza( and for both countries to facilitate
the e&it of anyone in need of urgent medical treatment.
7ospitals in Gaza are struggling to function with a growing influ& of wounded civilians and
depleted medical supplies as well as fuel and electricity shortages( largely due to Israel:s strict
bloc"ade of the Gaza #trip for the last seven years.
@ac"ground
Under international humanitarian law( parties to an armed conflict must distinguish between
military targets and civilians and civilian ob8ects( and direct attac"s only at the former.
Indiscriminate and disproportionate attac"s are prohibited. he parties must ta"e necessary
precautions during attac"s to minimize harm to civilians and civilian ob8ects. hey also must
ta"e all feasible precautions to protect civilians under their control from the effects of attac"s.