Israeli human rights group B’Tselem has accused the Israeli army of directly targeting Palestinian civilians, rather than focusing on Hamas militants, in the ongoing conflict in Gaza. The organization highlighted an attack on December 2 in Gaza City’s Shejaiya neighborhood, targeting Hamas member Wissam Farhat.
B’Tselem condemned the strike, stating that it resulted in the deaths of dozens of people, the destruction of numerous residential buildings, and the burial of hundreds under the rubble. The rights group asserted that the attack was unlawful, emphasizing the principle of proportionality in international humanitarian law, which requires the prevention of civilian harm outweighing the anticipated military advantage.
The report disputed Israel’s claims of making every effort to spare civilians, asserting that such justifications are detached from international humanitarian law. B’Tselem refuted Israel’s assumption that no civilians remained in the evacuated areas, stating that many chose to stay for various reasons or could not leave. The group emphasized that even if civilians had evacuated, it would not justify indiscriminate bombing of civilian targets.
As Israel resumed its military offensive on Gaza after a humanitarian pause, B’Tselem warned that continuing the bombing policy could lead to the deaths of thousands more civilians. With over two million people crowded into southern Gaza, the group called for an immediate halt to the policy, describing it as contributing to death, destruction, and worsening the humanitarian catastrophe.
There has been no comment from the Israeli army regarding the B’Tselem report. Since October 7, the conflict has resulted in over 16,000 Palestinian casualties, with at least 1,200 reported Israeli deaths following a cross-border attack by Hamas. The international community closely watches the situation as concerns about civilian casualties and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza persist.
