By Zehra Nur Duz
ANKARA (AA) - A UN agency urged Israel to launch an investigation Wednesday into allegations that its army killed at least 11 unarmed Palestinian men in front of their family members in Gaza City.
“The Israeli authorities must immediately institute an independent, thorough and effective investigation into these allegations, and if found to be substantiated, those responsible must be brought to justice and measures implemented to prevent any such serious violations from recurring,” the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said a report, “Unlawful killings in Gaza City.”
The claims “raises alarm about the possible commission of a war crime,” said OHCHR.
The Israeli military (IDF) reportedly raided the Al Awda building, also known as the “Annan building,” in the Al Remal neighborhood, where three related families were sheltering, in addition to the Annan family, according to OHCHR.
While in control of the building and civilians there, the army allegedly separated the men from the women and children, and shot and killed at least 11 men, mostly aged in their late 20s and early 30s, in front of their family members, OHCHR noted.
The IDF then allegedly ordered the women and children into a room and either shot at them or threw a grenade into the room, reportedly seriously injuring some, including an infant and a child.
The OHCHR confirmed the killings although details and circumstances are “still under verification.”
The IDF has yet to release information about the incident, said the UN agency.