Israel violated international laws for raids carried out on media during recent attacks on Gaza, a rights group says.Israel violated international laws by targeting media in Gaza during the November 2012 conflict, US-based non-governmental organisation Human Rights Watch has said.During the eight day conflict, the Israeli army targeted media personnel and offices of al Aqsa TV, al Quds Educational Radio, Quds TV, and Alwan Radio. The four attacks on journalists and media facilities by Israel in Gaza “was unlawful as it violated the laws of war by targeting civilians and civilian objects that were making no apparent contribution to Palestinian military operations,” the rights organisation said in a statement on Thursday.The attacks left two Palestinian cameramen killed, ten other media workers wounded and four media offices destroyed, including one in a building housing international media.The Israeli government has consistently defended the attacks by stating that the attacks were on legitimate military targets.At the time, Mark Regev, the spokesperson for the Israeli government, told Al Jazeera that the Israeli army had targeted Hamas “communication facilities”.Regev stated that those targeted were not “legitimate journalists” and that they exploited the use of media credentials as a shield.However, Sarah Leah Whitson, the Middle East director at Human Rights Watch, said in the statement on Thursday that “journalists who praise Hamas and TV stations that applaud attacks on Israel may be propagandists, but that does not make them legitimate targets under the laws of war.”International humanitarian laws classify journalists and media workers as civilians who should be immune from attack unless directly participating in hostilities.If found guilty of breaking international law, Israel could be prosecuted for war crimes. The statement mentioned that both sides were involved in unlawful attacks on civilians.
