The investigation used advanced techniques, including analysis of shadows and smoke plumes, as well as testimony from Palestinian civilians.
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In the 50-day war, Israeli air strikes and shelling hammered the densely populated Gaza Strip, causing widespread destruction of homes and schools.
Under the directive, Israeli forces can respond to the capture of a soldier with intense firepower which some analysts have claimed aim to kill the soldier rather than let them fall alive into enemy hands.
However, Eyal Weizman, the Israeli-born director of Forensic Architecture, said Israel’s actions in the aftermath of Lt Goldin’s abduction plainly put his life at risk.
“Eyewitness accounts described horrifying scenes of chaos and panic as an inferno of fire from F-16 jets, drones, helicopters and artillery rained down on the streets, striking civilians on foot or in cars, as well as ambulances and other vehicles evacuating the wounded”.
Israel reacted by saying that the human rights organization “falsifies” reality in its report on the fighting in Gaza a year ago.
Amnesty claims that this shows that the successive attacks were moved by a desire to “punish” Rafah.
“There is consequently strong evidence that many such attacks in Rafah between 1 and 4 August were serious violations of worldwide humanitarian law and constituted grave breaches of the Fourth Geneva Convention and other war crimes… they may also constitute crimes against humanity”.
The incidents addressed in the report centred on August 1, 2014, which has become known as “Black Friday”, when Goldin was captured shortly after a ceasefire was announced.
Israel strongly denied the accusations, calling Amnesty’s report “fundamentally flawed in its methodologies, in its facts, in its legal analysis and in its conclusions”.
Deputies of the Islamist movement Hamas which rules Gaza on Wednesday renewed calls for a “revolt” against the internationally recognised Palestinian Authority over its sweeping arrests of anti-Israeli militants. Amnesty added that the victims and their families have the right to justice and compensation, and that those suspected of having ordered or committed war crimes must be prosecuted.
“We see that they are dropping one tonne bombs into the tunnel shaft and that establishes for us their attempt to kill the soldier that was kidnapped”, he said. Seventy-three people were killed on the Israeli side, including 67 soldiers.
“Entire claims are based on the uncorroborated testimonies of individual Palestinians and unidentified “fieldworkers”, without considering any potential biases or coercion by Hamas authorities, or simply the fact that individuals caught in the middle of combat are limited in their capacity to know the reasons, methodologies and intentions of the fighting parties”.
“IDF [Israeli Defense Forces]… conducts all its operations in accordance with global law”, the statement said.
Amnesty says it hopes evidence drawn from hundreds of images and videos collected from satellites, news agencies and social media which were used to re-create numerous day’s events in real time will be considered by global Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutors.
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Amnesty global has been accused of “compulsive obsessiveness” when it comes to Israel, after a new report out this week was branded “fundamentally flawed” by the Israeli embassy in London.
