A panel of independent UN experts today condemned the violence against civilians in Israel and deplored the “collective punishment” of what she called the retaliatory strikes against Gaza.

While condemning the “horrific crimes committed by Hamas”, the group says Israel has resorted to “indiscriminate military attacks against the already exhausted Palestinian people of Gaza”.

“They have lived for 16 years under an illegal blockade and have already experienced five major barbaric wars for which responsibility has not been attributed,” the group, which includes UN special rapporteurs, said in a statement.

“This amounts to collective punishment. There is no justification for violence that indiscriminately targets innocent civilians, whether by Hamas or Israeli forces. This is categorically prohibited under international law and amounts to a war crime.”

The group of UN experts, which does not speak on behalf of the world body, however, says that taking hostages in the context of hostilities is also a war crime.

“Civilians captured by Hamas must be released immediately and pending their release their fate and whereabouts must be known,” the experts said.

Israel announced today that there will be no humanitarian pause in its siege of the Gaza Strip until all hostages are freed.