In a major report, Human Rights Watch has described Palestinian suicide bombings against Israeli civilians as crimes against humanity. The organization also charges that Palestinian Authority President Yasser Arafat has not done enough to prevent the attacks, though it says there is no evidence that he is legally responsible for them.

The report, entitled Erased in a Moment: Suicide Bombing Attacks Against Israeli Civilians, is the most detailed independent investigation of the Palestinian suicide bombing campaign to be published since the beginning of the current round of fighting two years ago. In a statement, Kenneth Roth, the Executive Director of Human Rights Watch, said that "those who carry out suicide bombings are not martyrs, they’re war criminals, and so are the people who help to plan such attacks."

The report argues that the top leaders of Hamas and Islamic Jihad should face investigation for their support for the bombing campaign. In the case of al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, an organization linked to President Arafat’s Fatah party, the report says that control and responsibility for criminal attacks "appears to be centred at local levels." Nevertheless the report says that Arafat has not done enough to deter the attacks, and has helped create an atmosphere of impunity for them. It claims that Arafat and the Palestinian Authority "bear a high degree of political responsibility for the atrocities."

Responding to the publication, Arafat told reporters that the Israeli military occupation of Palestinian areas was the root cause of the violence. According to a report by the Associated Press, he said, "We have to blame the occupation for what is going on."

In previous reports, Human Rights Watch has been strongly critical of the actions of the Israeli military during the latest round of fighting in the Middle East.

Related chapters from Crimes of War: What the Public Should Know:

Arab-Israeli War
Terrorism Against Civilians

Related Links

Suicide Bombers Commit Crimes Against Humanity
Human Rights Watch Press Release

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