The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories, B’Tselem, sent an urgent letter to the Israeli Defense Minister, Amir Peretz, demanding him to bar the army from shelling civilian targets in the Gaza Strip.The Center also said that several Israeli ministers asked Peretz to cut the power and water supply that goes into the Gaza Strip, and considered these calls and shelling as act of collective punishment against the Palestinian people.
The Center considered attacks against civilian infrastructure since these attacks constitute acts of collective punishment and “could be regarded as war crimes”.
Six months ago, Israel shelled the only Electricity Station in the Gaza Strip forcing most of the residents of the Gaza Strip to remain without power supply for several months.
Also, B’Tselem also slammed the firing of homemade shells from the Gaza Strip into adjacent Israeli areas and also “constitute war crimes and that the state of Israel must act to defend its citizens but should not cover its failures in defending Sderot residents by attacking the residents of the Gaza Strip”.
