On 8 July 2014, another round of hostilities broke out in Gaza. It was dubbed Operation Protective Edge. About 50 days later, the fighting ended in a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. During the fighting, which included an incursion by ground forces, the Israeli military launched strikes from the air, sea and land against thousands of targets. More than 2,200 Palestinians were killed, including hundreds of children. About 18,000 homes were destroyed or badly damaged and more than 100,000 Palestinians were rendered homeless.
These attacks were not carried out on the whim of individual soldiers, pilots or commanders in the field. They are the result of a policy formulated by government officials and the senior military command. These officials backed the policy of attacking homes, reiterating the argument that the attacks conform to international humanitarian law (IHL) and eschewing any responsibility for harm to civilians.
For the purpose of this report B’Tselem investigated 70 incidents in each of which at least three people were killed while inside their home. A total of 606 Palestinians were killed in such incidents, the vast majority of whom took no part in the fighting: more than 70% were either under 18, over 60 or women. An examination of these cases indicates that, at least in some cases, the military’s actions ran contrary to IHL provisions and, in other cases, there is grave concern that they did so.
Summary
http://www.btselem.org/publications/summaries/201501_black_flag
Full Report
http://www.btselem.org/download/201501_black_flag_eng.pdf
Samer Badawi: Bombing homes in Gaza - 'It was supposed to be their shelter'
http://972mag.com/bombing-homes-in-gaza-it-was-supposed-to-be-their-shelter/101965/
Rights group chides Israel 'policy' of bombing Gaza homes
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=757105
Rights group: Israeli bombing of Gaza homes was policy
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/01/rights-group-israeli-bombing-gaza-homes-policy-150128042200506.html
Israel’s “open-fire policy” wiped out entire families in Gaza, says new study
http://electronicintifada.net/content/israels-open-fire-policy-wiped-out-entire-families-gaza-says-new-study/14240
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