Disturbing footage and witness accounts obtained by have shed light on the alleged executions carried out by Israeli soldiers in Gaza City last month. Witnesses have come forward, stating that at least 19 civilians were executed, recounting harrowing scenes of women and girls being separated from their families, beaten, and strip-searched.
Human rights groups have been gathering testimonies regarding these alleged summary executions, and has obtained crucial footage and witness accounts from members of one affected family. Umm Odai Salem, who lost her husband in the assault on December 19, shared her harrowing experience. According to Salem, tanks and bulldozers surrounded their building, which had been under continuous shelling for days. Despite pleading with the soldiers, stating that they were civilians, her husband was taken to another apartment. Salem and her daughters were then subjected to physical abuse, insults, and threats with guns and knives.
The soldiers ignored their pleas and proceeded to execute all the men they had rounded up outside the building. The footage obtained shows the bodies of the executed men with bullet entry holes in their backs. Tragically, after the men were killed, the apartment where Salem and her daughters sought shelter was hit, resulting in the death of her three-year-old daughter, Nada. Salem’s daughter recounted the heartbreaking moment, explaining how she was holding Nada when the shelling resumed. Nada was struck by shrapnel and succumbed to her injuries, leaving her sister traumatized.
Legal experts, including William Schabas, professor of international law at Middlesex University in London, have emphasized that the footage and testimonies could provide evidence for the International Criminal Court. Schabas clarified that it is not essential to prove the victims’ civilian status, as summary executions, even of combatants, are considered war crimes. However, identifying the perpetrators remains a significant challenge.
Muhammad Shehada, of the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor in Copenhagen, expressed concern about a pattern of “systematic” killings by Israeli forces. He highlighted that at least 13 field executions were corroborated as arbitrary acts by the Israeli forces. Shehada noted that the soldiers seem to operate with a sense of impunity.
This is not the first time Israeli forces have faced accusations of executing civilians during the ongoing conflict. In December, the United Nations human rights office called for an independent inquiry into allegations of executions of 11 Palestinian men in Gaza, labeling it a possible war crime. However, conducting such investigations poses a challenge, as the entities capable of investigating these alleged Israeli crimes are currently not allowed into the Gaza Strip.
Furthermore, many Palestinians have accused Israeli forces of mistreatment and torture while being held in Israeli prisons. Recently released detainees, Muhammad Abu Samra and Abdel Qader Fatesh, shared their distressing experiences of physical abuse and humiliation at the hands of Israeli soldiers. A UN human rights official has condemned the treatment of detainees, highlighting weeks of imprisonment in undisclosed locations and physical abuse.
The evidence presented through witness testimonies, footage, and international condemnation highlights the urgent need for a thorough investigation into these alleged executions. The international community must address these disturbing incidents and hold all parties accountable for their actions.
