(Gaza) – Israeli forces in the southern Gaza town of Khuza’a fired on and killed civilians in apparent violation of the laws of war in several incidents between July 23 and 25, 2014. Deliberate attacks on civilians who are not participating in the fighting are war crimes.
While the laws of war encourage “advance, effective warnings” of attacks, the failure of civilians to abide by warnings does not make them lawful targets of attack – for obvious reasons, since many people do not flee because of infirmity, fear, lack of a place to go, or any number of other reasons. The remaining presence of such civilians despite a warning to flee cannot be ignored when attacks are carried out, as Israeli forces have done previously.

“Warning families to flee fighting doesn’t make them fair targets just because they’re unable to do so, and deliberately attacking them is a war crime,” Whitson said.

Human Rights Watch investigated several incidents between July 23 and 25 when, local residents said, Israeli forces opened fire on civilians trying to flee Khuza’a, but no Palestinian fighters were present at the time and no firefights were taking place.

On the morning of July 23, Israeli forces ordered a group of about 100 Palestinians in Khuza’a to leave a home in which they had gathered to take shelter, family members said. The first member to leave the house, Shahid al-Najjar, had his hands up but an Israeli soldier shot him in the jaw, seriously injuring him.

Israeli soldiers detained the men and boys over age 15 in an area close to the Gaza perimeter fence. Based on statements from witnesses and news reports, some were taken to Israel for questioning. Israeli forces released others that day, in small separate groups. As one group walked unarmed to Khan Younis, Israeli soldiers fired on them, killing one and wounding two others.

Two older men whom Israeli forces briefly detained near the perimeter fence had been seriously wounded in earlier Israeli bombardments and died soon after being released, two witnesses said. The laws of war provide that wounded civilians and combatants should be given necessary medical care to the fullest extent practicable and with the least possible delay.

In another incident on July 23, Israeli soldiers fired on a group of civilians who had been told to leave their home in Khuza’a, killing Mohammed al-Najjar, a witness said.

One case illustrates the dangers facing civilians both who remain in place and who heed Israeli orders to leave. On July 25, an Israeli strike killed three civilians – Motassem al-Najjar, 5; Kamel al-Najjar, 62; and Salim Qdeih, around 70 – who were among 120 people sheltering in the basement of a home, witnesses said. Another 15 people were wounded. The local Red Cross had difficulty reaching people wounded by shellings in the town. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) reported that on July 25, a Red Crescent volunteer was mortally wounded in an Israeli attack in Khuza’a, and other volunteers who tried to rescue him were fired on. Under the laws of war, medical workers are civilians who may not be targeted for attack.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Typical pro-Palestinian rally. Shout hateful things, act like thugs and animals and burn Israeli flags and try to burn people alive like that ex-Marine. Makes me sick.

The Israeli army needs to keep leveling more of Gaza. All that the Gazan people want is death, bloodshed and slaughter. So that is what they should get.

Wish I could have been at that rally to spin on the Hamas terrorists (I mean, pro-Pals).

Same idiots. Find them at Code Oink rallies, Occupy Wall Street, etc

Go back to your Fox TV feed, moron.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Typical pro-Palestinian rally. Shout hateful things, act like thugs and animals and burn Israeli flags and try to burn people alive like that ex-Marine. Makes me sick.

The Israeli army needs to keep leveling more of Gaza. All that the Gazan people want is death, bloodshed and slaughter. So that is what they should get.

Wish I could have been at that rally to spin on the Hamas terrorists (I mean, pro-Pals).

Same idiots. Find them at Code Oink rallies, Occupy Wall Street, etc

Anonymous wrote:Typical pro-Palestinian rally. Shout hateful things, act like thugs and animals and burn Israeli flags and try to burn people alive like that ex-Marine. Makes me sick.

The Israeli army needs to keep leveling more of Gaza. All that the Gazan people want is death, bloodshed and slaughter. So that is what they should get.

Wish I could have been at that rally to spin on the Hamas terrorists (I mean, pro-Pals).

Muslima wrote:

Anonymous wrote:More that Muslima 'does not know'. There were indeed such signs - and violence too!!

http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2014/08/breaking-israel-supporters-evacuated-under-police-protection-from-front-of-white-house/

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Peace/2014/08/02/Pro-Palestinian-Tries-to-Light-Counter-Protestors-Israeli-Flag-on-Fire-at-Massive-DC-March

That's a lie. There were no such signs about going back to the ovens or death to jews. I guess all the Jews at the protest were self-hating. And the article you're linking starts like this:

Merica was there covering a pro-Hamas rally by the communist terrorist support group ANSWER being held at Lafayette Park.

uhm....okay lol.

Anonymous wrote:More that Muslima 'does not know'. There were indeed such signs - and violence too!!

http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2014/08/breaking-israel-supporters-evacuated-under-police-protection-from-front-of-white-house/

http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Peace/2014/08/02/Pro-Palestinian-Tries-to-Light-Counter-Protestors-Israeli-Flag-on-Fire-at-Massive-DC-March

Merica was there covering a pro-Hamas rally by the communist terrorist support group ANSWER being held at Lafayette Park.

Anonymous wrote:Were their signs like "go to back to the ovens", "Hilter was right", "ZioNazis go to hell", like in Boston and NYC? Did the protesters start throwing stones at synagogues and kosher markets, barricading jews inside, vandalizing with swastikas like all across Europe?

Better yet, given that you were protesting against violence to certain peoples, were you also protesting against 200K killed in Syria, the Christians and Muslims killed in Iraq, the hundreds killed in Egypt, the Muslims killed in Turkey, (you know I could go on and on and on), or the Palestinians killed by Hamas for "aiding the enemy"? You know, the ones tied by their feet to a car bumper and dragged through the streets to cheers?

Or what about the Palestinian that took a tractor crane this morning, rammed over a bus, and kept hacking at it today in Jerusalem. at least one killed so far.

Anonymous wrote:I prefer independent sources such as this one which estimates there were 10,000 marchers, one fifth the number claimed by the organizers.
http://www.politico.com/gallery/2014/08/photos-rally-for-gaza-in-washington-d-c-/001971-028053.html