Rights group blasts Israeli drone strikes

JERUSALEM, June 29 (UPI) -- A human rights group alleges Israel launched air strikes in Gaza using unmanned aerial vehicles, which it calls a violation of the laws of war.

A report issued Tuesday by Human Rights Watch said 29 civilians were killed in six drone strikes during Israel's incursion into Gaza in late 2008 and early this year in which the Israelis allegedly fired missiles without first checking to make sure they were aimed at enemy combatants.

The report's authors said the drone operators had a bird's eye view of their targets and should have been aware no Palestinian fighters were in the area.

"Drone operators can clearly see their targets on the ground and also divert their missiles after launch," co-author Marc Garlasco said in a written statement. "Given these capabilities, Israel needs to explain why these civilian deaths took place."

The activist group said it based the report on interviews and evidence collected in the field, including missile fragments and medical records. They said Israeli officials declined to take part in the investigation or offer their version of the events.