UN Human Rights Chief Michelle Bachelet on Thursday expressed "alarm" at the number of Palestinian Arabs killed during conflicts with Israeli forces in Judea, Samaria, and Gaza this year.
In particular, Bachelet noted the 19 Arab children who were killed in the last week, mostly during Operation Breaking Dawn over the previous weekend
“Inflicting hurt on any child during the course of conflict is deeply disturbing, and the killing and maiming of so many children this year is unconscionable,” said Bachelet.
“International humanitarian law is clear. Launching an attack which may be expected to incidentally kill or injure civilians, or damage civilian objects, in disproportionate manner to the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated, is prohibited. Such attacks must stop,” she added.
Bachelet did not mention that the majority of the civilian and child casualties in Gaza were caused by misfired rockets launched by the Islamic Jihad terrorist organization.
The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights stated that the launching of over 1,000 rockets at Israel by Islamic Jihad was "a violation of international humanitarian law" and called those attacks "indiscriminate."
Bachelet also accused IDF forces of violating international law during operations in Judea and Samaria which turned deadly.
“An almost total lack of accountability persists in the occupied Palestinian territory – whether for violations of international humanitarian law by all parties in hostilities in Gaza, or for recurring Israeli violations of international human rights law and the law of occupation in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, including incidents of unnecessary and disproportionate use of force,” Bachelet said.
“This climate of impunity, along with the long-standing violations, drives the cycle of violence and the recurrence of violations.
“The situation in Palestine is extremely fragile, and events such as in Nablus risk igniting further hostilities in Gaza. The utmost restraint is necessary to prevent further bloodshed, including by ensuring that firearms are used strictly in compliance with international standards,” she concluded.