[JURIST] Amnesty International (AI) [official website] accused Israel of committing war crimes [AI press release] during the 2014 Israeli-Palestinian conflict in a 48-page report [text, PDF] published on Wednesday, entitled “Families Under Rubble: Israeli Attacks on Inhabited Homes.” In eight documented cases, the report alleges Israeli forces dropped aerial bombs or launched missiles at inhabited family homes, and in three instances the attacks targeted a military official who would likely be present with his family at that time. The eight attacks targeted 34 apartments and neighboring houses, resulting in the deaths of 111 individuals, including 104 civilians and 62 children. According to AI, Israel has repeatedly denied the human rights group access to enter Israel, forcing AI to rely on two internal field reporters who studied building sites and interviewed victims shortly after the attack. Their findings were cross-referenced with Israeli military reports and reviewed by military experts. Israel has refused to respond to AI’s inquiries regarding the allegations in the report.

2014 proved to be one of the most intense periods of violence for the Israel-Palestine conflict [HRW backgrounder, JURIST news archive]. Last week the UN Human Rights Committee urged Israel to investigate [JURIST report] alleged violations committed by its forces during the recent conflict in Gaza. The 2014 conflict lasted from July 8 to August 26, resulting in more than 2,100 deaths, with a high quantity of civilian casualties. In September, Human Rights Watch accused the Israeli military of committing war crimes [JURIST report] by attacking schools where hundreds of displaced Palestinians sought shelter. Also in September the Shurat HaDin of the Israel Law Center asked the International Criminal Court to open an investigation [JURIST report] into alleged war crimes committed by Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal.