UN Human Rights Chief Suggests Israeli Strikes in Gaza May Amount to  War Crimes 

U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said Thursday Israel’s airstrikes on Gaza may constitute war crimes, while stressing rocket attacks by Hamas were also a violation of international law. 

Bachelet made the remarks during a special session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, requested by the Organization of Islamic Conference —  a group of Muslim states  —  seeking an international investigation into human rights issues in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank.   In comments delivered remotely from her offices in Geneva, Bachelet discussed the 11-day conflict that ended with a cease-fire last week. She said as the conflict began, Hamas and other armed groups launched a rocket barrage toward Israel. Because those attacks were indiscriminate and did not distinguish between military and civilian objects, they constituted “a clear violation of international humanitarian law.”  But she said Israel responded with intense airstrikes from fighter planes and shelling from the sea, resulting in a "high level of civilian fatalities and injuries." She said the targets included government buildings, residential homes, international humanitarian organizations, medical facilities and media offices.