The legal branch of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) [official website] published a report [official report] yesterday that was the fifth in a series detailing the findings of investigations into the 2014 Gaza war. The report released the results of these investigations in regards to seven cases of violence during the war. The seventh case was the matter of an IDF airstrike aimed at a motorbike who exited off of a roundabout and passed in front of a United Nations Relief and Works Agency school. The attack occurred as the motorbike passed the school’s gate and resulted in the deaths of multiple civilians. After reviewing the factual situation, the Military Advocate General Corps. concluded that the actions and targeting practices of the IDF airmen were in accord with domestic and international law.

The violence in the ongoing Israel-Palestinian conflict [HRW backgrounder] has created contentious legal and human rights situations. Last month, Amnesty International (AI) called upon Palestinian and Israeli officials [JURIST report] in a report to properly address human rights violations committed by their forces. The UN Committee Against Torture (CAT), a body of independent experts, released closing remarks [JURIST report] to its fifty-seventh session in May, expressing concern about the use of excessive force by Israeli forces against Palestinians. An Israeli court in April convicted [JURIST report] Yosef Haim for the 2014 murder of a Palestinian teenager that led to the 50-day war in Gaza. UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories Makarim Wibisono [official profile] resigned [JURIST report] from his position in January, saying that Israel has not granted him access to the Occupied Palestinian Territory after repeated requests.