Thread by @OmarSShakir

Major escalation taking place right now in Israel & Palestine, with significant human rights implications. @hrw is investigating these events. Some preliminary takeaways based on what we know now & years of our reporting. 1/7

Israeli gov moving to evict Palestinians in Sheikh Jarrah under law allowing Jewish Israelis to takeover their homes based on prior ownership claim. This would displace families who are refugees barred by law from reclaiming land gov took from them as recent @hrw report shows 2/7

Planned Sheikh Jarrah evictions stem from an Israeli govt policy of “maintaining a solid Jewish majority” in Jerusalem (& target demographic ratios btw Jewish Israelis & Palestinians there it has set out) & underscore reality of apartheid that millions of Palestinians face 3/7

Israeli authorities’ brutal treatment of protesters in occupied East Jerusalem, including in/around al-Aqsa mosque, stem from a systematic practice of excessive force & impunity for serious abuses. Its actions here seek to quell demonstrations & Palestinian mass mobilization 4/7

Rockets indiscriminately fired by Palestinian armed groups towards Israeli population centers endanger the lives, homes & properties of tens of thousands of Israeli civilians. These attacks are unjustified & are war crimes, as @hrw has extensively documented over years 5/7

Israel's use of explosive weapons with wide area effects in densely populated Gaza on population living in open-air prison for 14 years bound to result in civilian harm. Alarming reports of many Palestinians killed today. @hrw has documented many Israeli war crimes over years 6/7

These events highlight need to end impunity for serious abuses & for @IntlCrimCourt to investigate & prosecute those implicated. Cycles of escalations will persist so long as intl community continues to fail to take the human rights measures situation of this gravity warrants 7/7