Gaza: Israeli Strike Killing 106 Civilians an Apparent War Crime
Gaza: Israeli Strike Killing 106 Civilians an Apparent War Crime Human Rights Watch
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Israeli Airstrike on Gaza Building May Constitute War Crime
- Israeli forces unlawfully attacked a residential building in Gaza on October 31, 2023, absent any apparent military target, killing at least 106 civilians, including 54 children.
- Scores of Israeli airstrikes in Gaza since October 7 have caused thousands of civilian casualties, underscoring the greater risk of unlawful attacks from explosive weapons in populated areas.
- Governments should suspend arms transfers to Israel, support the International Criminal Court investigation in Palestine, and impose targeted sanctions on officials responsible for laws-of-war violations.
(Jerusalem, April 4, 2024) – An Israeli airstrike on a six-story apartment building sheltering hundreds of people in central Gaza on October 31, 2023, is an apparent war crime, Human Rights Watch said today. The attack, which killed at least 106 civilians, including 54 children, is among the deadliest single incidents for civilians since the Israeli government’s bombardment and ground incursion into Gaza following the Hamas-led attacks on Israel on October 7.
Evidence of Unlawful Attack
Human Rights Watch found no evidence of a military target in the vicinity of the building at the time of the Israeli attack, making the strike unlawfully indiscriminate under the laws of war. Israeli authorities have provided no justification for the attack. The Israeli military’s long track record of failing to credibly investigate alleged war crimes underscores the importance of the International Criminal Court (ICC)’s inquiry into serious crimes committed by all parties to the conflict.
Urgent Need for Accountability
“Israel’s unlawful airstrike on an apartment building on October 31 killed at least 106 people, including children playing football, residents charging phones in the ground-floor grocery store, and displaced families seeking safety,” said Gerry Simpson, associate crisis and conflict director at Human Rights Watch. “This strike inflicted massive civilian casualties without an apparent military target – one of scores of attacks causing overwhelming carnage, and highlighting the urgency of the ICC probe.”
Background
Between January and March 2024, Human Rights Watch spoke by phone with 16 people about the October 31 attack on the residential Engineers’ Building, and the death of their relatives and others. Human Rights Watch analyzed satellite imagery, 35 photographs, and 45 videos of the attack’s aftermath, as well as other relevant photographs and videos on social media. Human Rights Watch was unable to visit the site because Israeli authorities have blocked virtually all entry into Gaza at its crossings since October 7. Israel has repeatedly denied Human Rights Watch requests to enter Gaza over the last 16 years.
Witness Accounts of the Attack
Witnesses said that on October 31, 350 or more people were staying at the Engineers’ Building, just south of the Nuseirat refugee camp. At least 150 were seeking shelter after fleeing their homes elsewhere in Gaza.
Without warning, at about 2:30 p.m., four aerial munitions struck the building within about 10 seconds. The building was completely demolished.
Two brothers said that they rushed out of their nearby homes to look for their two children and their nephew, whom they knew were outside playing football. One of the men said he found his 11-year-old son lying under concrete bars in the rubble: “The back of his head was cracked open, one of his legs seemed barely connected to his body and part of his face was burned, but he seemed to be alive. We freed him in seconds, but he died in the ambulance. We buried him the same day.” All three boys died in the attack.
None of the witnesses interviewed said they had received or heard about any warning from Israeli authorities to evacuate the building before the strike.
Identification of Victims
Human Rights Watch confirmed the identities of 106 people killed through interviews with relatives of some of the victims, including 34 women, 18 men, and 54 children. The total number of dead is most likely higher. Airwars, a nongovernmental organization that investigates civilian harm in conflict zones, identified in open-source materials 112 names of people killed, including 96 identified by both organizations, as well as 19 other people not by name but through their relationship to other victims in
SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?
- SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions
- SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
- SDG 5: Gender Equality
- SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?
- SDG 16.1: Reduce violence and related death rates everywhere
- SDG 16.3: Promote the rule of law and ensure equal access to justice for all
- SDG 10.2: Empower and promote the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion, or economic or other status
- SDG 5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres
- SDG 11.1: Ensure access for all to adequate, safe, and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slums
3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?
Yes, the article mentions specific incidents and statistics that can serve as indicators to measure progress towards the identified targets. These include:
- Number of civilian casualties, including women and children
- Number of unlawful attacks on residential buildings
- Number of investigations into alleged war crimes
- Number of arms transfers to Israel
- Number of targeted sanctions imposed on officials responsible for laws-of-war violations
SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Table
| SDGs | Targets | Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions | 16.1: Reduce violence and related death rates everywhere | – Number of civilian casualties, including women and children – Number of unlawful attacks on residential buildings |
| SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities | 10.2: Empower and promote the social, economic, and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion, or economic or other status | – Number of investigations into alleged war crimes – Number of targeted sanctions imposed on officials responsible for laws-of-war violations |
| SDG 5: Gender Equality | – Number of civilian casualties, including women and children – Number of unlawful attacks on residential buildings – Number of investigations into violence against women and girls |
|
| SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities | 11.1: Ensure access for all to adequate, safe, and affordable housing and basic services and upgrade slums | – Number of unlawful attacks on residential buildings – Number of displaced people |
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Source: hrw.org
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