Amnesty shares Mideast shame

2004-05-26 10:54

London - Amnesty International on Wednesday accused Israel of committing "war crimes" against the Palestinians and said the killings of Israeli civilians by Palestinian militants were "crimes against humanity".

"Certain abuses committed by the Israeli army constituted war crimes, including unlawful killings, obstruction of medical assistance and targeting of medical personnel, extensive and wanton destruction of property, torture and the use of 'human shields'," said Amnesty's annual report for 2003.

"The deliberate targeting of (Israeli) civilians by Palestinian armed groups constituted crimes against humanity," said the London-based rights watchdog.

The group said: "The Israeli army killed around 600 Palestinians, including more than 100 children (in 2003). Most were killed unlawfully - in reckless shooting, shelling and bombing in civilian residential areas, in extrajudicial executions and through excessive use of force."

Palestinian armed groups "killed around 200 Israelis, at least 130 of them civilians and including 21 children, in suicide bombings and other deliberate attacks" last year, it said.

The group said "thousands of Palestinians were detained by the Israeli army. Most were released without charge, hundreds were charged with security offences against Israel and at least 1 500 were held in administrative detention without charge or trial."

Trials in military courts "did not meet international standards. Allegations of torture and ill-treatment of Palestinian detainees were widespread and Israeli soldiers used Palestinians as 'human shields' during military operations," it said.

The watchdog also condemned the Israeli army for the killing and injury of "several international activists, journalists and medical workers".

Impunity

It regretted that "most Israeli soldiers and security force members continued to enjoy impunity. Investigations, prosecutions and convictions for human right violations were rare."

"In the overwhelming majority of the thousands of cases of unlawful killings and other grave human rights violations committed by Israeli soldiers since the intifada (uprising) began (in 2000), no investigations were known to have been carried out," it said.

Israel was also accused of holding "scores of Jewish Israelis who refused to perform military service or to serve in the occupied territories" as prisoners of conscience.

Amnesty criticised Israel's destruction of hundreds of Palestinian homes, commercial and public facilities as well as water, electricity and communication infrastructure "as a form of collective punishment."

Such punishment also included closures, military checkpoints and curfews that restricted the movement of Palestinians, hindering access to work, education, medical care, family visits and other activities of daily life.

"Restrictions on the movement of Palestinians were further increased by the construction of a wall in the West Bank and around Jerusalem," it said.

- AFP