The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, suggested in the wake of the Palestinian death toll hitting nearly 700 that Israel was guilty of war crimes.
As of Wednesday evening, a total of 697 Palestinians were reportedly killed, 518 of whom were listed as civilians — including 170 children and 86 women, the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said, Time reported.
“There seems to be a strong possibility that international humanitarian law has been violated, in a manner that could amount to war crimes,” Ms. Philly told the U.N. Human Rights Council, Time reported. “Every one of these incidents must be properly and independently investigated.”
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meanwhile, called the accusations from the United Nations a “travesty” and said the international organization was completely ignoring the fact that Hamas terrorists were using civilians in the Gaza Strip as “human shields,” Time reported.
“The UNHRC is sending a message to Hamas and terror organizations everywhere that using civilians as human shields is effective strategy,” Mr. Netanyahu said, in a Facebook post.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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