Amnesty International has called for an investigation into the Israeli military’s operations along the eastern perimeter of the Gaza Strip, citing potential war crimes.
The human rights organization alleges that Israeli forces have unlawfully destroyed agricultural lands, civilian buildings, and entire neighborhoods under the guise of expanding a “buffer zone.”
According to Amnesty International, satellite imagery and social media footage posted by Israeli soldiers between October 2023 and May 2024 were analyzed, revealing what the group describes as a pattern of “systematic destruction of an entire area.”
The findings show a continued military campaign that Amnesty argues constitutes indiscriminate damage to the Gaza Strip.
Erika Guevara-Rosas, Amnesty’s regional director, stated that Israeli forces’ actions have destroyed residential buildings, displaced thousands of families, and rendered vast areas uninhabitable.
She emphasized that the establishment of a buffer zone should not equate to the collective punishment of Palestinian civilians.
Guevara-Rosas further urged that while Israel has the right to defend its citizens from attacks originating in Gaza, any military actions must align with international law, which prohibits indiscriminate destruction and collective punishment.
The Israeli military has defended its operations, citing the destruction of tunnels and other “terrorist infrastructure” used by Hamas as a key objective of the campaign.
Despite these justifications, Amnesty International insists that the scope of destruction witnessed in Gaza violates international humanitarian law and requires thorough investigation.
