Israel Uses Disproportionate Force Against Palestinians

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on Tuesday denounced Israel's unnecessary and disproportionate use of force against Palestinians who have been protesting against the eviction of families from a neighborhood in occupied East Jerusalem. 

RELATED:

Israeli Forces Kill 20 Palestinians Including Nine Children

"The Israeli Security Forces must allow and guarantee the exercise of the freedoms of expression, association, and assembly. No force should be used against those who exercise these rights peacefully," OHCHR spokesperson Rupert Colville said.

"When the use of force is necessary, it must be done in full respect of international human rights standards, which prohibit the unnecessary and disproportionate use of force. This has not been the case in recent days," he added.

The eviction of the Palestinian families is intended to allow Israeli settlers to occupy the area. This sparked outrage among Palestinians, who have stepped up their protests in various parts of the world in recent days.

The Gaza Health Ministry reported that the recent Israeli attacks have left a hundred people wounded and twenty-two Palestinians dead, including nine minors.

The Israeli authorities maintain that their actions are a response to the launching of missiles from Palestinian territory attributed to the Hamas movement.

Colville considered that it is not easy to say who are the culprits of the missiles because "Hamas is not the only group in Gaza, where there are other armed groups, and it is not clear who launched them". In this regard, he argued that the indiscriminate use of dangerous weapons in civilian areas could be "potentially a war crime".

Nevertheless, Israel's Defense Minister Beny Gantz on Tuesday deployed 5,000 reserve troops to Gaza as Israeli bombardment of the Palestinian territory continues. This move would be aimed at "expanding the activity" of the Israeli army's ongoing operation in response to militias increasing their shelling.