Israel killed shocking number of entire families in Gaza: New UN probe

The UN Human Rights Office in its latest report accused Israel of systematic devastation in Gaza and deliberately killing women, children, and shocking number of entire families

Friday November 8, 2024 11:23 PM, ummid.com News Network

[People are finding skeletons and mass graves everywhere in Gaza. Mahmoud Abed Rabbuh's family identified him by his teeth.]

Geneva: The UN Human Rights Office in its latest report accused Israel of systematic devastation in Gaza and deliberately killing women, children, and shocking number of entire families.

“Amongst the fatalities verified by Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), and reflecting trends evident from other data, many who were killed on the same date and location shared the same last names, suggesting families killed together, often in their homes”, the UN Human Rights said in its report.

“The IDF strikes on residential buildings have resulted in a shocking number of entire families being killed. As of 31 August 2024, OHCHR had verified 200 families that had lost between 5 and 9 members, 172 families that had lost between 10 and 19 members, 69 families that had lost between 20 and 29 family members, and 43 families that had lost more than 30 members”, the report said.

“The two families with the highest verified number of fatalities were the Al Najjar family, with 138 members killed (in 18 incidents), including 35 women and 62 children, and the Al Astal family with 94 members killed (in 8 incidents), including 33 women and 45 children”, the UN rights body said.

The OHCHR also verified the killing of 27 members of the Maghari family in several incidents. The Maghari family is, according to information gathered by OHCHR, a refugee family originally from Al Maghar village in current day Israel.

"On 18 October 2023, 23 members of the family, including 3 women, and 12 children aged from 1 to 16 years of age, were killed in an Israeli airstrike on their family home located in Al Bureij Camp", the UN rights body's report said.

In another tragic case, OHCHR verified the killing of 13 members of the Zaher family in two reported Israeli strikes. On 12 October, 5 members of the family, including 1 woman and 4 children aged from 1 to 6 years of age, were killed in an alleged Israeli airstrike on their family home located in Ash Shaati Camp, Gaza City.

On 16 October, 8 other members of the Zaher family, including 2 women and 5 children aged from 1 to 13 years of age, were killed in an alleged Israeli airstrike on their family home located in Jabalya Camp, North Gaza, the report said.

"The killing of whole families together in their places of shelter adds further to concerns over compliance with fundamental principles of International Humanitarian Law (IHL)", the UN rights body said in its report.

No evidence of “human shields”

The UN rights body in its report also refuted the Israeli claim of the Resistance fighters using “human shields” to justify its attack on hospitals, schools and other civilian areas.

“In attacking hospitals and schools, the IDF alleged that “terrorist organizations” had used such facilities for military purposes. For example, in the course of attacking Al Shifa Medical Complex in November 2023, the IDF released more than 27 statements alleging that Al Shifa Medical Complex was being used by ”Hamas”, and that the organization uses civilian infrastructure, such as hospitals, and civilians, as human shields. In most instances, the IDF did not offer substantial evidence to support their allegations, and OHCHR has not been able separately to verify them”, the report said.

The UN report further said that the deliberate targeting of civilians and their homes would violate the principle of distinction, unless it could be shown that they had lost their protection as civilians due to their direct participation in hostilities or that the buildings struck met the definition of military objectives.

"The shocking death toll and killing of entire families raise further concerns that, even where legitimate military objectives were targeted, such attacks violated the IHL principle of proportionality", the UN Human Rights Office said.

"This pattern of strikes also raises concerns regarding compliance with the principle of precautions in attack, as it is difficult to conceive how such levels of civilian harm were justifiable, especially as such strikes not only killed individuals but also destroyed fundamental social structures and support networks of Palestinians in Gaza, raising inferences that the IDF also intended to weaken the overall cohesion of the Palestinian community in Gaza", the report said.

Such unlawful attacks would also violate Israel’s obligations under international human rights treaty law, which include the obligation to ensure “the widest possible protection and assistance be accorded to the family, which is the natural and fundamental group unit of society”, the UN rights body said.

"Genocide, crimes against humanity"

The UN rights body's detailed analysis of violations covers the six-month period from November 2023 to April 2024, and broadly examines the killing of civilians and breaches of international law that in many instances could amount to war crimes.

"If committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against a civilian population, further to a State or organizational policy, these violations may constitute crimes against humanity. And if committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, they may also constitute genocide", the report warned.

“The International Court of Justice, in its series of orders on provisional measures, underscored the international obligations of Israel to prevent, protect against and punish acts of genocide and associated prohibited conduct,” the UN report said.

The report points to repeated statements from Israeli officials positing the end of the conflict as contingent upon Gaza’s entire destruction and the exodus of the Palestinian people.

Furthermore, it documents efforts to rationalize discrimination, hostility and violence towards, and even the elimination of, Palestinians.

The report shows how civilians have borne the brunt of the attacks, including through the initial “complete siege” of Gaza by Israeli Forces, as well as the Israeli government’s continuing unlawful failures to allow, facilitate and ensure the entry of humanitarian aid, the destruction of civilian infrastructure, and repeated mass displacement.

“This conduct by Israeli Forces has caused unprecedented levels of killings, death, injury, starvation, illness and disease, the report said.

“Gaza now a rubble-strewn landscape”

The United Nations further said the Israeli war has turned Gaza into a “rubble-strewn landscape”, simultaneously confirming that over 70% of those killed by the occupation forces are women and children.

“Gaza is now a rubble-strewn landscape. Within this dystopia of destruction and devastation, those alive are left injured, displaced and starving”, Ajith Sunghay, Head of UN Human Rights Office in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, said.

#Gaza is now a rubble-strewn landscape.

Those alive are left injured, displaced & starving - Ajith Sunghay, Head of @UNHumanRights Palestine Office, presents 6-month update report on the human rights situation in Gaza.
— UN Human Rights (@UNHumanRights) November 8, 2024

“Women, men and children do not have access to adequate water, food or healthcare. People are left in cramped and unsanitary conditions, ridden with illness and disease. Women are left without access to basic hygiene and health needs. Children are separated from their parents”, Ajith Sunghay said.

"Justice must be served"

Volker Türk, UN Human Rights Chief, while releasing the report called for action and justice.

“Justice must be served for these grave violation of international law”, he said.

Volker Türk also confirmed the use of white phosphorous munitions by the Israeli occupation forces against the Palestinians and called International Criminal Court (ICC) and other world institutions to make Israel accountable for its war crimes.

“The member states have an obligation to act and prevent atrocity crimes. I urge them to support the work of accountability mechanisms, including the International Criminal Court (ICC), to exercise universal jurisdiction to investigate and try crimes under international law in national courts, and to comply with extradition requests”, Volker Turk said.

Volker Türk stressed the imperative for Israel fully and immediately to comply with those obligations. This is even more critical and urgent, given the totality of conduct set out in the report and taking into account most recent events, including Israel’s operations in North Gaza and its adoption of legislation affecting UNRWA’s activities, he said.

“It is essential that there is due reckoning with respect to the allegations of serious violations of international law through credible and impartial judicial bodies and that, in the meantime, all relevant information and evidence are collected and preserved,” he said.

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