In a surprising move, the often anti-Israel Human Rights Watch issued a statement in support of Israel’s right to self-defense over the weekend. Rocket launchers in Gaza are “legitimate military objectives,” said HRW’s Middle East Director, Joe Stork. Local “armed groups” are at fault for endangering civilians when they place launchers in civilian neighborhoods, he said.
The group also called on Israel to take “all feasible precautions” before carrying out a strike, in order to avoid civilian casualties. The announcement came after three children were killed in an IDF strike while playing next to rocket launchers.
HRW has come under fire from Israeli groups for criticizing Israel based only on anecdotal accounts from local Arabs. The group also failed to criticize regional terrorist groups for their exploitation of Arab children, who are often used in attacks.