A Palestinian man holds a national flag as Israeli heavy machinery demolish vacant apartment blocs by order of Israel's High Court, in the West Bank Jewish settlement of Beit El near Ramallah, Wednesday. — Reuters OCCUPIED JERUSALEM — An analysis of an Israeli assault in the Gaza Strip following the capture of one of its soldiers during last year's war in the Palestinian territory shows "strong evidence" of war crimes, Amnesty International said Wednesday. The London-based rights group called for those responsible for the alleged offenses to be prosecuted as it published a detailed analysis of the Israeli military operation using eyewitness accounts, satellite imagery, photos and videos. "There is strong evidence that Israeli forces committed war crimes in their relentless and massive bombardment of residential areas of Rafah in order to foil the capture of Lt. Hadar Goldin, displaying a shocking disregard for civilian lives," Philip Luther, director of the Middle East and North Africa Program at Amnesty International, said in a statement. "They carried out a series of disproportionate or otherwise indiscriminate attacks, which they have completely failed to investigate independently." Israel strongly denied the accusations, calling Amnesty's report "fundamentally flawed in its methodologies, in its facts, in its legal analysis and in its conclusions". The incidents addressed in the report centered on Aug. 1, 2014, which has become known as "Black Friday," when Goldin was captured. He was later declared dead. In response, the military was said to have implemented the so-called Hannibal Directive — a controversial procedure which allows for an intensive military response to secure the rescue of a captured soldier. Last summer's 50-day war took a heavy toll on Gaza, killing 2,251 Palestinians, including more than 500 children. Seventy-three people were killed on the Israeli side, including 67 soldiers. 300 settler homes okayed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu approved Wednesday the "immediate" construction of 300 settler homes in the occupied West Bank as his government came under pressure from right-wing Jewish groups. A senior Palestine Liberation Organization official denounced the plans to build new homes as "war crimes" and accused Israel of sabotaging peace efforts. The decision comes amid already strained relations between Israel and the United States, particularly over the recent nuclear deal with Iran, but the prime minister is also under pressure to hold on to his one-seat majority in parliament. "After consultations in the prime minister's office, the immediate construction of 300 homes in Beit El has been authorized," Netanyahu's office said, adding that planning for another 504 homes in annexed East Jerusalem had also been approved. — Agencies
