Rights group says Hamas rockets at Israel a clear war crime

By ILAN BEN ZION
Associated Press

JERUSALEM (AP) — A prominent international human rights group has accused Hamas of committing war crimes during a recent 11-day conflict with Israel by indiscriminately firing thousands of rockets toward Israeli cities and towns. Human Rights Watch said in a report released Thursday it concluded that a misfired rocket launched by Hamas killed seven Palestinians when it fell short in the Gaza Strip. The New York-based group has repeatedly come under fire by Israel and its supporters over reports accusing Israel of war crimes against the Palestinians. But this report agreed with most experts — and Israel — that indiscriminate rocket fire directed at Israeli civilian areas is a violation of international law.