HRW Says Israeli Attacks on Media 'Violated Laws of War'
Israeli attacks on journalists and media facilities in the Gaza Strip during an eight-day flare up last month "violated the laws of war," Human Rights Watch said on Thursday.
But Israel rejected the findings, saying the military had adhered to international law during the conflict.
"Four Israeli attacks on journalists and media facilities in Gaza during the November 2012 fighting violated the laws of war by targeting civilians and civilian objects that were making no apparent contribution to Palestinian military operations," said HRW.
"The Israeli government asserted that each of the four attacks was on a legitimate military target but provided no specific information to support its claims."
Israel and Gaza militants fought an eight-day battle from November 14 which killed about 170 Palestinians, more than half of them civilians, and six Israelis, four civilians and two soldiers.
Hundreds of air strikes were carried out by Israel, including several targeting buildings housing media outlets, and bombed a car carrying two cameramen for a Hamas-affiliated television station, killing both.
The Jewish state said it launched "surgical strikes" that only targeted facilities used by militant groups or their members.
But HRW's Sarah Leah Whitson accused Israel of having "dangerously and unlawfully blurred the distinction between civilians who call for or support military attacks and those who directly participate in attacks".
The rights group said it had found no evidence the media sites and individuals targeted were "valid military objectives," adding Israel had failed to provide any proof.
"Just because Israel says a journalist was a fighter or a TV station was a command center does not make it so," said Whitson.
"Journalists who praise Hamas and TV stations that applaud attacks on Israel may be propagandists, but that does not make them legitimate targets under the laws of war."
International law protects media workers as civilians immune from attack unless they take up arms.
The Israeli military rejected the report, defending its conduct during the conflict.
"The Israel Defense Forces acts in accordance with the laws of armed conflict, despite the ongoing deliberate violations and abuse of these laws by the terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip," it said.
"The details of the events mentioned in the report are being checked. Once this process is complete, we will be able to provide a comprehensive response."
The report said Israeli attacks killed two Palestinian cameramen, wounded 10 media workers and and damaged four media offices.
The offices of four private companies were also damaged, and a toddler living across from one targeted media building was killed in an attack.
Among the buildings targeted during the conflict was the Naama building, which houses Agence France Presse's Gaza offices. The offices were undamaged by two separate strikes on the building. No AFP staff were harmed.
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