CAIRO: Human Rights Watch blamed both Palestinian armed groups and the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) for endangering civilian lives and accused them of violating human rights laws. A report filed by the US-based human rights watchdog referred to the war between Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Fatah s Al-Aqsa Brigades, as well as Israeli artillery strikes near populated areas in northern Gaza. Palestinian armed groups have placed their highly portable rocket launchers near residential areas in Gaza and the Israeli defense force (IDF) reduced the "safety zone between artillery targets and civilian areas from 300 to 100 meters, read the report. Both actions have violated human rights laws by endangering the lives of civilians, it further explained. These laws are meant to protect civilians from harm, whatever the reason, Joe Stork, deputy director of Human Rights Watch's Middle East division, said in a statement. To protect civilians, Human Rights Watch plans to monitor the volatile region. Gasser Abdel Razek, Regional Director of Operations of Human Rights Watch, told The Daily Star Egypt that the monitoring operations will be carried out by placing military officials and politicians on the ground and by interviewing doctors, activists and witnesses to any bombing event. Abdel Razek added that the group advised the Palestinian Authority to take concrete steps to prevent such attacks from the territory under its jurisdiction and investigate and prosecute those responsible for such attacks. The report also called on Israel to conduct independent and comprehensive investigations, and discipline or prosecute individuals who may be responsible for artillery attacks conducted in serious violation of the rules of war.
