In a report which was released on Monday, the HRW accused the Tel Aviv regime of killing civilians as they attempted to flee the town of Khuza’a.

The HRW said that Israel has apparently violated the laws of war on many occasions in its offensive on the Gaza Strip.

The body referred to the attack on civilians fleeing Khuza'a neighborhood in Gaza in particular.

“When will there be justice for the civilians in Khuza’a, who suffered shelling for days, then faced deadly attacks by Israeli soldiers…,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, HRW’s Middle East and North Africa executive director.

Whitson further said that “It’s abhorrent that Israeli forces are making matters even worse by so blatantly violating the laws of war designed to spare civilians.”

Hospitals in Gaza are in desperate need of help, including medicines and equipment. Israel imposed an all-out land, aerial, and naval blockade on Gaza in June 2007. The siege has had a disastrous impact on the humanitarian and economic situation in the impoverished enclave.

The Tel Aviv regime has been pounding numerous sites inside the besieged Gaza Strip and killing innocent residents of the impoverished Palestinian enclave since July 8.

The air, sea and land strikes have so far killed at least 1,865 Palestinians and injured over 9,500 others.

The Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas, has been launching retaliatory attacks against Israel.

Israeli sources have confirmed the deaths of nearly 70 soldiers. However, Hamas says the toll is over 150.

BA/BA