B’Tselem strongly condemns the ‘liquidation’ carried out by Israel in Gaza tonight. At least 14 civilians, 9 of them minors, were killed and dozens injured, when F-16 fighter jets bombed a residential building.

Those who gave the orders to bomb a residential neighborhood must have considered the fact that many civilians would be hurt. A government that approves such an attack, willfully adopts the tactics of terrorist organizations, who will stop at nothing to achieve their ends.

By deliberately attacking a large number of civilians, the Israeli government enters a new phase of disregard for the fundamental principals of law and morality. The attack is a severe violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention (Article 147), and is considered a war crime.

B’Tselem notes that attacks on civilians by one side do not justify the other side targetting civilians. B’Tselem urges the Palestinian Authority to do everything in its power to prevent acts of revenge, which will only add more innocent civilians to the circle of victims.

B’Tselem, The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories
8 HaTa’asiya St. (4th Floor),
Jerusalem 93420, Israel.
Tel: 972-2-6735599, Fax: 972-2-6749111
E-mail: mail@btselem.org
Web: www.btselem.org