explainer
Amnesty International has warned that Israel has already violated international law with four attacks in Rafah since December.
At least 95 people, including 42 children, were killed in four attacks by Israeli forces in Rafah, Gaza's southernmost city, Amnesty International said. Human rights groups said the victims included young girls whose births had not even been registered.
So far, there have been four attacks on the city since December, following a week-long humanitarian shutdown to allow relief supplies to pass and the release of hostages and prisoners.
Israeli authorities claimed the attack was justified because Hamas operatives were hiding in the city. Israel remains committed to civilian casualties, even as the death toll in the Gaza Strip exceeds 28,000 in just four months, with thousands more missing under the rubble and believed to have died. He has repeatedly said he is doing everything in his power to avoid it.
US President Joe Biden has warned Israel against carrying out military attacks at the cost of civilian lives. “A major military operation in Rafah is a credible plan to ensure the safety and support of the more than 1 million people sheltered there,” he said in a meeting with Jordan's King Abdullah at the White House on Monday. We should not proceed without it.”
Attack timeline
- December 12: Attacks on two houses in the Hab family in Al-Zuhoor district killed 25 civilians, including 10 children.
- December 14: An attack on the home of Dr. Abdallah Shehada in the Brazil district leaves 30 people dead, including 11 children.
- December 19: An attack on a Zurbu home in western Rafah leaves 22 people dead, including 11 children.
- January 9: Attack on Nofa family in Tal as-Sultan district leaves 18 people dead, including 10 children.
What does the Amnesty International report show?
While investigations into Israel's actions in Gaza are ongoing, Amnesty International's latest report shows evidence of possible war crimes in Rafah.
Erika Guevara Rosas, senior director of research, advocacy, policy and campaigns, said: “Entire families were wiped out in Israeli attacks despite taking refuge in areas that were advertised as safe.” .
Amnesty International took photos, video recordings and satellite images from all four attack sites to confirm the destruction. The organization also interviewed 18 people, 14 survivors and four rescuers.
The investigation found no legitimate military targets that would justify an attack of this scale.
Amnesty International said it sent questions about the attack to Israeli authorities on January 19 and January 30, but received no response.
Has Israel ever carried out an attack on Rafah?
yes. In August 2014, Israel carried out a four-day air and ground offensive against the city, killing 135 civilians, including 75 children. Amnesty International said Israel violated international law on this occasion as well.
The raid was launched after Israeli soldier Lieutenant Hadar Goldin, who was found dead on August 2, was captured and presumed killed.
In 2015, Amnesty International and the investigative journalism organization Forensic Architecture released a report entitled “Black Friday: The Rafah Massacre During the 2014 Israel-Gaza War.” Philip Luther, Amnesty International's Middle East and North Africa director, said at the time: “Israeli forces committed a war crime by relentlessly bombarding a residential area of Rafah to prevent the capture of Lieutenant Hadar Goldin. There is strong evidence that.” He shows a shocking disregard for civilian life. ”
In a statement, Amnesty International called on the international community to support the International Criminal Court (ICC) in its role in investigating alleged war crimes “including those described in this report.”
He further added:All states must take punitive measures against Palestine for participating in the International Criminal Court, submitting information to the court regarding Israeli violations, or taking other steps to activate international judicial mechanisms. should be opposed. ”
Is Israel trying to avoid civilian deaths as it claims?
Despite the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ordering Israel to comply with the 1948 Genocide Convention on January 22, civilian casualties in the Gaza Strip have not decreased.
The international community continues to pressure Israel to limit or avoid civilian casualties. The United States, Israel's most loyal ally, has also advised caution.
“We do not support any future military operations in Rafah unless we can adequately account for the 1.1 million people (by some estimates) currently in Rafah,” said U.S. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller. Stated. They have already evacuated, some of them multiple times. ”
Egyptian officials have also made it clear that civilian casualties must be avoided at all costs.