Rights group says Hamas rockets at Israel a clear war crime

Rockets are launched from the Gaza Strip toward Israel, in Gaza City, Aug. 12, 2021. (File/AP)
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Updated 12 August 2021
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Rights group says Hamas rockets at Israel a clear war crime

  • Human Rights Watch investigated rocket attacks that killed 12 in Israel and seven Palestinians in Gaza Strip
  • The war erupted on May 10 after Hamas fired rockets toward Jerusalem in support of Palestinian protests

JERUSALEM: Human Rights Watch on Thursday said the thousands of rockets fired by the Palestinian militant group Hamas during the 11-day war with Israel “violated the laws of war and amount to war crimes.”

The New York-based rights group investigated Hamas rocket attacks that killed 12 civilians in Israel, as well as a misfired rocket that killed seven Palestinians inside the Gaza Strip.

HRW has repeatedly come under fire by Israel and its supporters over reports accusing Israel of war crimes against the Palestinians as well as apartheid and persecution. But in this report it agreed with most legal experts — and Israel itself — that indiscriminate rocket fire from Palestinian population centers directed at civilian areas is a violation of international law.

“Palestinian armed groups during the May fighting flagrantly violated the laws-of-war prohibition on indiscriminate attacks by launching thousands of unguided rockets toward Israeli cities,” Human Rights Watch acting Middle East and North Africa director Eric Goldstein said in a statement.

Last month the group issued a report that accused the Israeli military of carrying out attacks during the conflict that “apparently amount to war crimes” after investigating three Israeli airstrikes that it said killed 62 Palestinian civilians.

The war erupted on May 10 after Hamas fired a barrage of rockets toward Jerusalem in support of Palestinian protests against Israel’s heavy-handed policing at a contested Jerusalem holy site sacred to Jews and Muslims, and the threatened eviction of dozens of Palestinian families by Jewish settlers in a nearby neighborhood.

Israel has said it struck over 1,000 targets in the Gaza Strip during the fighting, while Hamas launched more than 4,300 rockets and mortar rounds at Israel, including barrages directed at the country’s major population centers around Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

In all, some 254 people were killed in Gaza, including at least 67 children and 39 women, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. Hamas has acknowledged the deaths of 80 militants, while Israel has claimed the number is much higher. Twelve civilians, including two children, were killed in Israel, along with one soldier.

“The rockets and mortars that Palestinian armed groups fired lack guidance systems and are prone to misfire, making them extremely inaccurate and thus inherently indiscriminate when directed toward areas with civilians,” the report said. “Launching such rockets to attack civilian areas is a war crime.”

Israel has claimed that around 20 percent of the rockets Palestinian militants launched fell inside the Gaza Strip, and said that most of the remaining missiles were intercepted by the military’s Iron Dome aerial defense system, or fell in open areas.

“Munitions apparently directed toward Israel that misfired and fell short killed and injured an undetermined number of Palestinians in Gaza,” the report said, adding that Hamas has not “provided information about how many rockets misfired or how many people died as a result in Gaza and there are no precise independent estimates.”

It concluded that a Hamas rocket fired on May 10 killed seven people, including two children, in the Gaza Strip city of Jabaliya.

The Israeli military has claimed at least one other incident in Beit Hanoun on May 10, in which eight Palestinian civilians died in an explosion, was the result of a misfired Hamas rocket exploding inside the Gaza Strip. The military said the incident took place before it began operating in the area. Human Rights Watch said in its earlier report that the explosion appeared to have been caused by an Israeli bomb.

The May conflict was the fourth war between Israel and Hamas since the Islamic militant group seized control of Gaza in 2007, a year after winning the Palestinian parliamentary elections. Founded in the 1980s, the group rejects Israel’s existence, is responsible for scores of deadly attacks on Israeli civilians and is considered a terrorist group by the US, E.U. and Israel.

Human Rights Watch, other rights groups and UN officials have accused both sides of committing war crimes in all of the conflicts, and HRW said both parties have “a long track record of failing to investigate” alleged violations.

“The failure of both Hamas authorities and the Israeli government to provide accountability for alleged war crimes by their forces highlights the essential role of the International Criminal Court,” Goldstein said.

Early this year, HRW accused Israel of the international crimes of apartheid and persecution because of discriminatory polices toward Palestinians, both inside Israel as well as in the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Israel rejected the accusations and accused the group of being biased against it.

HRW has called on the ICC to include Palestinian rocket attacks and Israeli airstrikes during the most recent Gaza war in its ongoing investigation into possible war crimes by Israel and Palestinian militants.

Israel does not recognize the court’s jurisdiction and says it is capable of investigating any possible wrongdoing by its forces. It says the ICC probe is unfair and politically motivated.

Hamas has said that its rocket attacks against Israel stem from its “legitimate right to resist the occupation,” but did not have an immediate response to Thursday’s HRW report.

“Hamas authorities should stop trying to justify unlawful rocket attacks that indiscriminately kill and injure civilians by pointing to Israel’s violations,” Goldstein said.


Pakistan, China and Russia to push for ceasefire as UN Security Council meets on Iran

Updated 18 min 18 sec ago
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Pakistan, China and Russia to push for ceasefire as UN Security Council meets on Iran

  • The three countries have circulated a draft resolution text and asked UNSC members to share comments by Monday
  • A resolution needs at least nine votes in favor and no vetoes by the US, France, Britain, Russia or China for it to pass

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan, China and Russia will present a joint resolution calling for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in the Middle East, the Pakistani mission to the United Nations (UN) said on Sunday, ahead of a UN Security Council meeting to discuss US airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites.

It was not immediately clear when it could be put to a vote. The three countries circulated the draft text, and asked members to share their comments by Monday evening. A resolution needs at least nine votes in favor and no vetoes by the United States, France, Britain, Russia or China to pass.

The US is likely to oppose the draft resolution, which condemns the attacks against “peaceful nuclear sites and facilities under the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) safeguards in the Islamic Republic of Iran” and says that such attacks represent a threat to international peace and security, and to the entire safeguards regime of the IAEA, according to a draft seen by Arab News.

It calls for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire and a diplomatic solution to the nuclear issue to reach an agreement acceptable to all parties that “guarantees the exclusively peaceful nature of the Islamic Republic of Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for complete lifting of all multilateral and unilateral sanctions.”

“Pakistan, China and Russia jointly have drafted a resolution and it is hoped that other countries like Algeria may also become its approvers,” Pakistan’s UN mission said.

“So far, it has been shared with the members countries for comments, which is a procedure before tabling it in the UNSC.”

The member countries will comment on the draft resolution and then a final draft will be tabled in the Security Council.

The world awaited Iran’s response on Sunday after President Donald Trump said the US had “obliterated” Tehran’s key nuclear sites, joining Israel in the biggest Western military action against the Islamic Republic since its 1979 revolution.

Iran requested the UN Security Council meeting, calling on the 15-member body “to address this blatant and unlawful act of aggression, to condemn it in the strongest possible terms.”

Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon said in a statement on Sunday that the US and Israel “do not deserve any condemnation, but rather an expression of appreciation and gratitude for making the world a safer place.”

UN Secretary-General Guterres branded the US strikes on Iran as a “dangerous escalation in a region already on the edge – and a direct threat to international peace and security.”

“At this perilous hour, it is critical to avoid a spiral of chaos. There is no military solution. The only path forward is diplomacy. The only hope is peace,” Guterres said in a statement.


Jordanian king chairs security meeting, affirms national unity amid regional tensions

Updated 22 June 2025
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Jordanian king chairs security meeting, affirms national unity amid regional tensions

  • King Abdullah II said that Jordan will not permit any party to exploit regional tensions to undermine the country’s firm stance on key Arab issues
  • The Iran-Israel conflict has escalated following US strikes on Sunday, as Tel Aviv and Tehran exchanged attacks for the 10th day

LONDON: King Abdullah II of Jordan chaired a meeting on Sunday with officials and security agencies to emphasize national unity in the face of regional developments.

King Abdullah urged government institutions to tackle the economic effects of escalating tensions in the Middle East during the meeting at Al-Husseiniya Palace in Amman.

He said that Jordan will not permit any party to exploit regional tensions to undermine the country’s firm stance on key Arab issues. He said that Amman is committed to achieving a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the establishment of a Palestinian state, the Petra news agency reported.

He called for increased international efforts to achieve lasting peace in the region and to de-escalate tensions through diplomatic dialogue and negotiations, Petra added.

The Iran-Israel conflict has escalated following US strikes on three nuclear sites inside Iran on Sunday morning. Tel Aviv and Tehran have exchanged attacks over the past 10 days, risking a full-scale war in the Middle East.

The meeting was attended by several key figures, including Prime Minister Jafar Hassan, Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, Speaker of the House of Representatives Ahmad Safadi, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Maj. Gen. Yousef Huneiti, General Intelligence Department Director Maj. Gen. Ahmad Husni, and Public Security Directorate Director Maj. Gen. Obaidallah Maaytah.


Suicide bombing at Damascus church kills at least 15

People and rescuers inspect the damage at the site of a reported suicide attack at the Saint Elias church in Damascus’ Dwelaa.
Updated 22 min 49 sec ago
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Suicide bombing at Damascus church kills at least 15

  • Incident marks the first suicide bombing inside Damascus since Bashar Assad was toppled in December

DAMASCUS: At least 15 people were killed when a suicide bomber blew himself up at the Mar Elias Church in the Dweila neighborhood of Syria’s capital Damascus on Sunday, security sources said.
The incident marks the first suicide bombing inside Damascus since Bashar Assad was toppled in December.
Syria’s interior ministry said the suicide bomber was a member of Daesh. He entered the church, opened fire and then detonated his explosive vest, the ministry added in a statement.
A security source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said two men were involved in the attack, including the one who blew himself up.
Syria’s state news agency cited the health ministry as putting the preliminary casualty toll at nine dead and 13 injured.
A livestream from the site by Syria’s civil defense, the White Helmets, showed scenes of destruction from within the church, including a bloodied floor and shattered church pews and masonry.
Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa, who led the offensive against Assad before taking over in January for a transitional phase, has repeatedly said he will protect minorities during his tenure.


Israeli authorities arrest four Al-Aqsa guards, storm old prayer hall

Updated 22 June 2025
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Israeli authorities arrest four Al-Aqsa guards, storm old prayer hall

  • Israeli forces storm prayer hall beneath the Qibli Mosque, damaging its contents
  • Jerusalem Governorate says action is part of efforts to assert control over the mosque’s administration and undermine the Waqf authority

LONDON: Israeli authorities arrested four guards at the Al-Aqsa Mosque during a search raid on Saturday night inside the compound’s old prayer hall.

The Jerusalem Governorate, affiliated with the Palestinian Authority, said that the detainees were identified as Mohammad Arbash, Ramzi Al-Zaanin, Basem Abu Juma, and Iyad Odeh. Several other guards and a firefighter in the compound were interrogated at the site by Israelis, the Wafa news agency reported.

Just after midnight on Saturday, Israeli forces stormed the old prayer hall at Al-Aqsa, a subterranean area beneath the Qibli Mosque, damaging its contents after breaking into storage cabinets and searching the premises, Wafa added.

The governorate said the latest Israeli action was part of efforts to assert control over the mosque’s administration and undermine the authority of the Islamic Waqf Department in Jerusalem.

After less than a week of complete closure under a state of emergency linked to the ongoing war with Iran, the Al-Aqsa Mosque was reopened by Israeli authorities, allowing Palestinian and other Muslim worshippers to enter the site under strict regulations, Wafa reported.


Palestinian Authority considers phasing out shekel as Israeli banks refuse to accept surplus

Updated 22 June 2025
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Palestinian Authority considers phasing out shekel as Israeli banks refuse to accept surplus

  • Israeli banks’ refusal to accept the transfer of surplus shekels means fewer foreign currencies that are necessary for commerce and business
  • Israel’s finance minister in June ended a waiver that allowed Israeli banks to engage with Palestinian ones without being scrutinized for money laundering and financing extremism

LONDON: The Palestinian Authority is considering replacing the Israeli shekel as the primary currency in circulation due to its increasing accumulation in the banks.

The Palestine Monetary Authority announced on Sunday that it has taken significant steps to address the growing accumulation of shekels in Palestinian banks after Israeli banks’ continuing refusal to accept the transfer of surplus shekels in exchange for foreign currencies necessary for commerce and business.

The PMA is considering alternative options, including a shift away from using the shekel as the primary currency in circulation, the Wafa news agency reported.

In early June, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich ended a waiver that allowed Israeli banks to engage with Palestinian banks without being scrutinized for money laundering and financing extremism.

Smotrich, who has been outspoken about weakening the Palestinian Authority and opposes the establishment of a Palestinian state, made this decision shortly after being sanctioned by the UK and four European countries for inciting violence in the occupied West Bank.

The PMA said it aims to create a more resilient and sustainable digital economy in Palestine and has consulted various economic sectors and the Union of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, and Agriculture before it makes a final decision. Alongside phasing out the Israeli shekel, the PMA studied digital payment strategies to avoid shekel accumulation in Palestinian banks, Wafa reported.