IDF Accuses Human Rights Watch of ‘Factual Distortion’ in Latest Report

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) has criticized Human Rights Watch (HRW) for alleged factual inaccuracies in a recent report on the ongoing conflict. The IDF claims the report misrepresents key events, undermining its credibility. HRW has yet to respond to these accusations.

The Israeli military has charged Human Rights Watch (HRW) with exhibiting “anti-Israel bias and factual distortion” following the NGO’s report asserting that Israel’s intentional large-scale displacement of Palestinians in Gaza constitutes a “crime against humanity.”

The US-based group’s report, a 154-page document released on Thursday, outlines over 13 months of extensive destruction in Gaza. According to the UN, this has resulted in the displacement of approximately 1.9 million Palestinians—over 90% of the territory’s population.

The IDF has refuted the allegations, asserting that the report is “highly misleading” in depicting the military’s “efforts to minimize civilian harm as tools for forcible displacement.”

According to the Times of Israel, the report included interviews with numerous displaced Palestinians and examined satellite images alongside 184 evacuation orders. The IDF asserted that the document aligned with a “long-standing pattern of anti-Israel bias and factual distortion.”

Although the IDF maintains that the evacuation warnings were provided “in accordance with international law,” an NGO discovered them to be “inconsistent, inaccurate, and often not relayed to civilians in a timely manner for evacuations.”

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Nadia Hardman, a refugee and migrant rights researcher at HRW, stated that the Israeli government cannot assert it is ensuring Palestinian safety when it kills them along escape routes, bombs areas designated as safe zones, and cuts off essential supplies of food, water, and sanitation.

Israel has clearly disregarded its responsibility to enable Palestinians to return home, demolishing nearly everything in extensive areas.

The IDF states that the report “selectively presents information in a way that lacks context and contains several clear misrepresentations.”

In 2010, HRW was granted $100 million by George Soros. The organization also charged Israeli authorities with obstructing nearly all essential humanitarian aid, including water, electricity, and fuel from reaching civilians in need. Furthermore, they accused Israel of conducting attacks that have damaged or destroyed crucial resources like hospitals and bakeries.

A spokesperson from Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated on social media that the HRW report depended on “Hamas-controlled sources.” They emphasized that “Israel’s efforts focus solely on dismantling Hamas’ terror capabilities and not targeting the people of Gaza.”

In October 2023, Israel launched an operation in Gaza following a cross-border attack by Hamas that resulted in at least 1,200 fatalities and the taking of 250 hostages. Reports indicate that subsequent heavy bombardments and ground invasion by the IDF have led to at least 43,000 deaths.