Wednesday, September 27, 2006

Report: Bombing of Gaza power plant war crime

Human rights group B'Tselem determines bombing of power plant in Gaza constitutes war crime and was carried out as 'vengeance'

"The B’Tselem human rights group published Wednesday a report on the implications of the bombing of the power plant in Gaza on June 28th, 2006. Findings show that the majority of residents in the Gaza Strip are only intermittently connected to the power supply and that the power cut has adversely affected medical services throughout hospitals and clinics in the Strip.

The report also found that the majority of the urban population is connected to the water supply for only two to three hours a day and that the sewer system in the Strip has virtually collapsed. In addition, the mobility of many of the residents has been hindered following disruption to the elevator service and the inability to refrigerate food supplies, thus exposing many to risk of food poisoning.

According to B’Tselem, the power cut has caused severe damage to small businesses dependent on the electrical supply, and the report foresees an increasingly grave situation in the wake of the severe economic crises prevalent in the Gaza Strip.

The B’Tselem organization has determined that the IDF operation was illegal and that according to international humanitarian law it is deemed a war crime as it constitutes an attack on a clear civilian target, as well as being "a banned collective punishment." "

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