The clip of Hala’s killing is one of a growing number that show unarmed civilians holding white flags being shot dead in Gaza. The Geneva-based Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor has said that they are investigating nine such incidents. CNN has examined four cases, including that of Hala Khreis.
CNN made multiple attempts to sit down with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to share its findings. They have yet to provide a comment.
Among the most widely reported of the incidents CNN looked at was the shooting of
three Israeli hostages, whom the IDF admitted to killing, mistakenly believing their surrender was a trap. The IDF has repeatedly claimed that it is doing everything in its power to avoid harming civilians, but its soldiers shot hostages waving a white flag, violating its rules of engagement and raising questions about those efforts.
Another video,
previously reported by CNN, shows a young man on the ground after being shot while trying to evacuate Gaza City. His father, holding a white flag, could be seen crying over his body. The footage doesn’t show the moment he was shot, and the IDF did not reply to CNN’s request for comment.
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Committing atrocities against civilians in response to atrocities committed against civilians is not the way to go.
Israel has a right to defend itself.
It does not have a right to commit what are essentially war crimes.
