Amnesty International Calls for War Crimes Probe Into Israel’s ‘Buffer Zone’

By Dave DeCamp – Antiwar.com

On Thursday, Amnesty International said Israel’s creation of a “buffer zone” in Gaza should be investigated as war crimes since it has involved the “wanton destruction” of all buildings and agricultural land in those areas.

“Using bulldozers and manually laid explosives, the Israeli military has unlawfully destroyed agricultural land and civilian buildings, razing entire neighborhoods, including homes, schools and mosques,” Amnesty said.

“By analyzing satellite imagery and videos posted by Israeli soldiers on social media between October 2023 and May 2024, Amnesty International’s Crisis Evidence Lab identified newly cleared land along Gaza’s eastern boundary, ranging from approximately 1km to 1.8km wide. In some videos, Israeli soldiers are seen posing for pictures or toasting in celebration as buildings are demolished in the background,” the group added.

Amnesty also said the destruction should be investigated for the war crime of collective punishment. “Systematically destroying civilian objects in retaliation for actions by armed groups may constitute collective punishment and should be investigated as a war crime,” the group said.

Israel’s “buffer zone,” which runs along Gaza’s border with Israel, accounts for 16% of the besieged enclave’s territory. The Israeli military has carried out a similar campaign of destruction in the Netzarim Corridor, which separates northern Gaza from the rest of the Strip. Combining the two areas accounts for about 26% of the Strip.

Many Israeli ministers and lawmakers have called for the re-establishment of Jewish settlements in the Gaza Strip. Settlements used to be located in the Netzarim Corridor, including where the Turkish hospital now stands, which has been taken over by Israeli forces and is now used as a military base.