Amnesty attacks both Middle East sides
The group made its attack on both sides in the conflict in its annual report for 2003.
"The Israeli army killed around 600 Palestinians, including more than 100 children. Most were killed unlawfully in reckless shooting, shelling and bombing in civilian residential areas, in extra-judicial executions and through excessive use of force.
"Certain abuses committed by the Israeli army constituted war crimes, including unlawful killings, obstruction of medical assistance and targeting of medical personnel, extensive and wanton destruction of property, torture and the use of 'human shields'."
The London-based human rights group also said: "The deliberate targeting of (Israeli) civilians by Palestinian armed groups constituted crimes against humanity."
Palestinian armed groups "killed around 200 Israelis, at least 130 of them civilians and including 21 children, in suicide bombings and other deliberate attacks" last year.
It added: "Thousands of Palestinians were detained by the Israeli army. Most were released without charge, hundreds were charged with security offences against Israel and at least 1,500 were held in administrative detention without charge or trial."
The group warned that trials in military courts "did not meet international standards. Allegations of torture and ill-treatment of Palestinian detainees were widespread and Israeli soldiers used Palestinians as 'human shields' during military operations".
It regretted that "most Israeli soldiers and security force members continued to enjoy impunity. Investigations, prosecutions and convictions for human right violations were rare".
The report also criticised Israeli settlers in the occupied territories. It claimed they "attacked Palestinians and their property... (and) in most cases, attacks... were not investigated and those responsible were not brought to justice".
Amnesty criticised Israel's destruction of hundreds of Palestinian homes, commercial and public facilities as well as water, electricity and communication infrastructure "as a form of collective punishment".
The group accused Israel of the "illegal" expansion of settlements in the Palestinian territories in moves that "further deprive Palestinians of natural resources such as land and water" and attacked the detention of "scores" of Israelis who refused to serve in the army.
International humanitarian organisation Oxfam also called yesterday for urgent action from the international community to protect civilians caught up in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Around 4,000 people have died since the beginning of the current round of violence in 2000, some 30,000 more have been injured and millions have had their lives and livelihoods disrupted, according to a report published yesterday.
The report called on the sponsors of the "road map" peace plan for the Middle East the US, the EU, the United Nations and Russia to uphold international humanitarian laws which grant civilians the right to be protected from violence and have their basic needs met.
It also called for an end to what it termed a "culture of impunity" under which those on both sides committing criminal acts were allowed to escape justice.
And it urged the government of Israel to stop the construction of its "security fence" along the border of the West Bank, which Oxfam said was having "devastating" effects on more than half a million Palestinians by denying them access to their land, livelihoods and water.
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