UN says Israel using ‘unlawful lethal force’ in raids on Jenin

The Israeli military’s use of “unlawful lethal force” this week in its raids on Jenin, in the occupied West Bank, including using strategies developed for fighting wars, has caused the UN to be “deeply concerned”.

UN Human Rights Office spokesman Thameen al-Kheetan stated in a press briefing in Geneva that “the recent deadly Israeli operations raise serious concerns about the unnecessary or disproportionate use of force, including using warfighting techniques and methods, in violation of international human rights law, norms and standards applicable to law enforcement operations.”

This includes numerous airstrikes and ostensibly random shooting at unarmed residents who are attempting to flee or find safety.

As deadly raids on the city’s four-day gates entered on Friday, Israeli forces reportedly blocked the four main entrances to Jenin City and its refugee camp. Israel claims that the city’s operation is aimed at removing Palestinian fighters.

The death toll from Israeli raids was 12 as of Friday. Palestinians have also been harmed and detained, and thousands have been forced to flee the city.

The Palestinian National Initiative party’s leader, Mustafa Barghouti, claimed in a statement that Israel is “dangerous ethnic cleansing in Jenin, forcing civilians and families to leave their homes on foot under violent repression and humiliating searches.”

He added that “current events confirm Herzi Halevi’s assertion that the objectives and repressive practices in Gaza and the West Bank are the same and are subject to collective punishment, checkpoints, arrests, and abuse.”

Source: Aljazeera