The raid that targeted the Engineers Building in Nuseirat led to the death of 106 Palestinian civilians, most of them children (Reuters)
Human Rights Watch revealed that Israeli forces launched a raid on the residential building known as the “Mohandiseen Building” in the Nuseirat neighborhood in the central Gaza Strip and killed 106 Palestinian civilians, most of them children, without any military target, in clear violation of the laws of war.
The organization said that Israeli forces launched an illegal attack on the 6-story building on October 31, without any military target, and killed 106 civilians, 54 of whom were children, which constitutes a supposed war crime.
The organization called on governments that supply Israel with weapons to suspend arms supplies to Tel Aviv, support the International Criminal Court's investigation into the war in Palestine, and impose targeted sanctions against officials involved in violations of the laws of war.
She said in a report published on her website today, Thursday, that dozens of Israeli air strikes on Gaza since the seventh of last October caused thousands of civilian casualties, and she explained that the matter highlights the greater danger represented by illegal attacks with explosive weapons in populated places.
Human Rights Watch explained that its investigations into the attack confirm that there is no evidence of the presence of a military target in the vicinity of the building at the time of the Israeli attack, which makes the raid random and illegal under the laws of war.
She said that the Israeli authorities did not provide any justification for the attack, and that the Israeli army’s record of failing to credibly investigate alleged war crimes underscores the importance of the International Criminal Court’s investigation into serious crimes committed by all parties to the conflict.
The organization quoted eyewitnesses as saying that the Mohandessin Building, adjacent to the Nuseirat refugee camp, contained 350 or more people, including at least 150 displaced people who had sought refuge there to escape bombing in other places in Gaza.
Eyewitnesses said that 4 bombs were dropped from the air on the building at around 2:30 pm without warning, hitting it and destroying everything within about 10 seconds.
Gerry Simpson, co-director of Human Rights Watch's Crisis and Conflict Division, said the raid "killed at least 106 civilians, including children playing soccer, residents charging their phones in a ground-floor shop, and displaced families searching for safety."
He continued, "This raid caused heavy losses among civilians, without having an apparent military target, and it is one of dozens of attacks that caused a massive massacre, which confirms the urgent need for an International Criminal Court investigation."
The organization said that the Israeli authorities did not provide any public information about the attack on the Engineers Building, nor did they explain its intended target, nor did they take any precautions to reduce the harm caused to civilians as a result. She also did not respond to a letter sent to her by Human Rights Watch on March 13, summarizing the findings and requesting specific information about the bloody attack.
Source: Al Jazeera + websites