Rights Group: Israeli Bombing of Gaza Homes Was Policy
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - An Israeli rights group criticized the government for what it called a deliberate policy of launching air strikes on homes that killed hundreds of civilians during last year's Gaza war.
In a report examining 70 raids on residential buildings in the besieged Palestinian territory, B'Tselem said on Wednesday that Israeli officials were responsible for a large number of civilian casualties during the 50-day conflict that killed nearly 2,200 Palestinians.
"A hallmark of the fighting in Gaza this summer was the numerous (Israeli) strikes on residential buildings, destroying them while their occupants were still inside," the 49-page report said, AP reported.
"This aspect of the fighting was particularly appalling" and was "the result of a policy formulated by government officials and the senior military command."
In the cases B'Tselem investigated, 606 people were killed, 70 percent of whom were under 18 or over 60, while the United Nations says the conflict's Palestinian death toll was almost 70 percent civilian.
