UN Independent Commission of Inquiry: No Justification for Israel to Shoot Protesters with Live Ammunition

The United Nations Independent Commission of Inquiry on the protests in the Occupied Palestinian Territory today presented its findings. The report focuses on the demonstrations in the Gaza Strip, referred to as the “Great March of Return and the Breaking of the Siege”.

“The Commission has reasonable grounds to believe that during the Great March of Return, Israeli soldiers committed violations of international human rights and humanitarian law. Some of those violations may constitute war crimes or crimes against humanity, and must be immediately investigated by Israel,” said the Chair of the Commission, Santiago Canton of Argentina.

The Commission was mandated by the Human Rights Council in May 2018 to investigate all alleged violations and abuses of international humanitarian law and international human rights law in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, in the context of the large-scale protests that began in Gaza on 30 March 2018. The Commission comprises Santiago Canton of Argentina (Chair), Sara Hossain of Bangladesh and Betty Murungi of Kenya.

More than 6,000 unarmed demonstrators were shot by military snipers, week after week at the protest sites by the separation fence. The Commission investigated every killing at the designated demonstration sites by the Gaza separation fence on official protest days. The investigation covered the period from the start of the protests until 31 December 2018. 189 Palestinians were killed during the demonstrations inside this period. The Commission found that Israeli Security Forces killed 183 of these protesters with live ammunition. Thirty-five of these fatalities were children, while three were clearly marked paramedics, and two were clearly marked journalists.

Press Release 
https://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC/Pages/NewsDetail.aspx?NewsID=24226&LangID=E

Summary Report
https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/HRBodies/HRCouncil/CoIOPT/A_HRC_40_74.pdf

Full Report - 252 pages
https://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC/RegularSessions/Session40/Documents/A_HRC_40_74_CRP2.18March.pdf

Adalah: UN commission's report on Palestinian protests is scathing indictment of Israeli government on all fronts
https://www.adalah.org/en/content/view/9688

Adalah's Report to the UN Commission of Inquiry
https://www.adalah.org/uploads/uploads/Adalah_Report_to_COI_2018_Gaza_22.11.%202018_FINAL.pdf

Amnesty: Findings of UN inquiry into Gaza killings must pave way for justice over war crimes
https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2019/02/israel-opt-findings-of-un-inquiry-into-gaza-killings-must-pave-way-for-justice-over-war-crimes/

B'Tselem: Israeli “investigations” a whitewashing mechanism to allow further killing
https://www.btselem.org/sites/default/files/publications/201903_gaza_demonstrations_investigations_charade_eng.pdf

Gisha: Israel should adopt the recommendations of the UN Commission of Inquiry
http://gisha.org/updates/9806

Al-Haq Welcomes Report of UN Commission of Inquiry on Great Return March
http://www.alhaq.org/advocacy/targets/united-nations/1362-press-release-issued-by-al-haq-al-haq-welcomes-report-of-un-commission-of-inquiry-on-great-return-march

Al Jazeera: Probe finds 'reasonable grounds to believe' snipers intentionally shot at children, civilians during 2018 Gaza rallies
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/02/israel-crimes-humanity-gaza-190228102451058.html

Democracy Now: Norman Finkelstein on Growing Push for ICC to File War Crimes Charges
https://www.democracynow.org/2019/3/4/it_is_time_to_indict_israel?autostart=true

Democracy Now: U.N. Finds Israel Intentionally Shot Children, Journalists & the Disabled During Gaza Protests
https://www.democracynow.org/2019/3/4/un_finds_israel_intentionally_shot_children

Guardian: UN says Israel's killings at Gaza protests may amount to war crimes
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/feb/28/gaza-israel-un-inquiry-killings-protest-war-crimes-army