Human Rights Watch accuses Israel of war crimes, crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip
Jerusalem, Nov 14: Human Rights Watch said in a report released Thursday that Israel has committed war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip, including massive forced displacements that amount to ethnic cleansing.
A new report released by the New York-based rights group said people have been killed while evacuating under Israeli orders and in Israeli-designated humanitarian zones, where hundreds of thousands are crammed into squalid tent camps.
The report said the widespread, deliberate demolition of homes and civilian infrastructure in Gaza -– some of them to carve a new road bisecting the territory and establish a buffer zone along Israel's border -– was likely to “permanently displace” many Palestinians.
“Such actions of the Israeli authorities amount to ethnic cleansing,” Human Rights Watch said.
The Israeli military did not immediately comment on the report.
Israel's blistering campaign in Gaza has killed over 43,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to local health officials who do not distinguish between civilians and combatants.
Around 90 per cent of the territory's population has fled their homes, with many displaced multiple times. The Israeli offensive has also damaged or destroyed around two-thirds of homes and other buildings in Gaza, according to UN assessments.
Israel says it does not deliberately target civilians and blames Hamas for their deaths, saying the group members hide among civilians and operate in residential areas.
On Wednesday, 15 trucks carrying aid were allowed into northern Gaza, where aid groups have warned that a months-long Israeli offensive could cause a famine.
The trucks entered Gaza with aid from the United Arab Emirates, according to the military body handling aid deliveries into the territory, COGAT. It said the aid consisted of food and water as well as hygiene, shelter and medical supplies.
UN agencies did not immediately confirm the delivery of the aid.
Israeli forces have encircled the Gaza Strip's northernmost areas for the past month, saying Hamas members have regrouped there. Experts say the Israeli military campaign has caused a new wave of displaced civilians and warn that famine is imminent or may already be happening there.
Israel has also been striking deeper inside Lebanon since September as it escalates the war against Hezbollah.
The Israel-Hamas war began after Palestinian Hamas group stormed into Israel on October 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people — mostly civilians — and abducting 250 others. Lebanon's Hezbollah group began firing into Israel on October 8, 2023, in solidarity with Hamas in Gaza. Since then, more than 3,200 people have been killed in Lebanon and more than 14,200 wounded, the country's Health Ministry reported. In Israel, 76 people have been killed, including 31 soldiers.
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Karnataka: Two killed as unknown vehicle hits people standing on roadside
Chitradurga (Karnataka) (PTI): Two persons were killed and an equal number of them were seriously injured in a hit-and-run accident near Pattarehalli village in Chitradurga district, police said on Sunday.
The accident occurred on late Saturday.
An unidentified vehicle crashed into four persons who were standing by the roadside after their car broke down.
"Four persons had stopped their vehicle due to a breakdown and were repairing when an unidentified vehicle crashed into them," a police officer said.
According to police, two persons died on the spot, while the other two sustained grievous injuries and were shifted to a nearby hospital for treatment.
"The driver fled the scene along with the vehicle immediately after the accident," the officer added.
A case has been registered at the Hiriyur Rural Police Station and efforts are on to trace the vehicle and its driver.
