UN accuses Israel of carrying out ‘summary executions’

A United Nations team says Israeli security forces have used excessive force and may have carried out “summary executions” against Palestinians amid a surge in violence since the start of October.

“Cases of excessive use of force by Israeli forces against Palestinians, including some which appear to amount to summary executions, continue to be reported,” says the UN special rapporteur on the human rights situation in the Palestinian Territories, Makarim Wibisono, and an expert on summary executions, Christof Heyns.

They call for an “end to the violence by all and strict compliance with international law.”

“We urge the authorities to carry out independent, thorough, prompt and impartial investigations into all suspected cases of extra-judicial, arbitrary and summary executions, and to provide compensation to the victims or their families,” the UN experts say.

— AFP