HRW: Pregnant woman among seven killed in possible Israeli 'war crime'
In its latest report, Human Rights Watch documented an incident on 21 December in which Israeli forces stormed a home in Gaza City, "throwing grenades inside and opening fire on a room where a civilian family was sheltering".
The organisation said the attack killed seven people, including a pregnant woman, and severely injured two, including a five-year-old.
"Witnesses also allege that Israeli forces shot a blind 73-year-old man after securing the building and forcing all other family members out," the report read.
"The incident should be investigated as a possible war crime, and forces involved should be held accountable."
Belkis Wille, the associate crisis, conflict and arms director at Human Rights Watch, said: "There is no excuse for soldiers storming into a home full of civilians and firing without precaution. They decimated a Palestinian family and orphaned a small child who may never be able to walk again."
Wille added that "this incident highlights the deadly cost of Israeli forces’ failure to safeguard, and in some cases to apparently target civilian lives in Gaza, including children".
Israeli forces stormed a Gaza City home on Dec. 21, 2023, throwing grenades inside and opening fire where a civilian family was sheltering.
— Human Rights Watch (@hrw) August 8, 2024
The attack killed seven people, including a pregnant woman, and severely injured two, including a 5-year-old. https://t.co/zaMDBm8uOV pic.twitter.com/SzLd9spTIY