Middle East: Amnesty International report calls for investigation into Israeli war crimes

The human rights organization Amnesty International released a report in which they call for the investigation into war crimes committed by the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) during attacks on the Palestinian refugee camp of Jenin and the West Bank city of Nablus earlier this year.

From the report:

Amnesty International has documented cases in Jenin and Nablus where people were killed or injured in circumstances suggesting that they were unlawfully and deliberately targeted, or were killed as a result of disproportionate use of force or gross negligence in protecting those not or no longer involved in the fighting.

In several cases the IDF caused the deaths of Palestinians by demolishing homes while residents were still inside. IDF soldiers frequently failed to give adequate warnings before demolishing houses, refused to allow family and neighbors to warn residents, failed to offer help themselves or to call rescue units or ambulances and sometimes shot at those who tried to help. The failure to properly investigate killings in disputed circumstances and those clearly unlawful have created a climate where members of the IDF believe that they may carry out such violations of the right to life with impunity.

Related articles:

• Israel and the Occupied Territories Shielded from scrutiny: IDF violations in Jenin and Nablus (Amnesty International report, November 4, 2002)
• Why Are Our Troops Training With Accused War Criminals? (The Palestine Chronicle, November 5, 2002)
• Profile: Israeli defence chief Shaul Mofaz (BBC News, November 3, 2002)
• Lawyer submits dossier alleging Mofaz war crimes (Associated Press, October 30, 2002)