TEHRAN, April 03 -Human Rights Watch (HRW) has slammed Israel’s killing of Palestinian protesters as “unlawful” and “calculated,” saying those officials who authorized the Israeli military to use lethal force ahead of the mass rallies in Gaza are to blame for the bloodshed.
TEHRAN, Young Journalists Club (YJC)-Human Rights Watch (HRW) has slammed Israel’s killing of Palestinian protesters as “unlawful” and “calculated,” saying those officials who authorized the Israeli military to use lethal force ahead of the mass rallies in Gaza are to blame for the bloodshed.
The New York-based rights organization said in a report on Tuesday that both before and after Friday’s deadly clashes in Gaza, the Israeli officials had publicly said that soldiers had orders to target the Palestinians who approached the fence with the blockaded enclave.
“The high number of deaths and injuries was the foreseeable consequence of granting soldiers leeway to use lethal force outside of life-threatening situations in violation of international norms, coupled with the longstanding culture of impunity within the Israeli army for serious abuses,” HRW said.
It also noted that the Gaza killings underlined the importance of a formal investigation by the International Criminal Court prosecutor into serious crimes against the Palestinians.
“Israeli soldiers were not merely using excessive force, but were apparently acting on orders that all but ensured a bloody military response to the Palestinian demonstrations,” said Eric Goldstein, deputy Middle East director at the HRW.
On Friday, Gazans marched to the fence with the occupied lands at the start of a six-week protest, dubbed “The Great March of Return,” demanding the right to return for Palestinians driven out of their homeland.
Source:Press TV
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