Gaza – Ma'an – A Palestinian human rights campaigner on Monday accused Israeli forces of committing a number of war crimes during its military assault on Gaza over the winter and before.

"The [Israeli] occupation committed war crimes against Palestinian prisoners and injured," said Nash'at Al-Wahidi, a researcher with the Popular Movement for Prisoners and Rights in Gaza.

During the invasion of the Az-Zaitoun neighborhood east of Gaza City on 11 May 2004, Al-Wahidi said, Israeli forces "buried the wounded alive," leading to civilian deaths that he alleged were intentional.

Israel also killed prisoners after they were detained, he insisted, identifying some as Muhammad Said Abdul Kareem Malakeh and Walid Khalid Azzam, both residents of the Az-Zaitoun neighborhood, and Muhammad Amer from Khan Younis.

The latest assault led to the loss of "many Gazans whose fate is still unknown," Al-Wahidi added, calling for investigations into "missing persons and exposing Israel's secret prisoners."

The researcher also discussed the Samouni family "massacre," in which soldiers besieged 27 members of the same family into a home that was later struck by missiles fired from Israeli warplanes.

According to purported witnesses, Al-Wahidi said, Israeli forces killed Attieh Helmi Samouni after he opened the door to his home.

The researcher added, "After killing the innocent civilian, his five-year-old child asked [a soldier], 'Why did you kill my father?' The Israelis replied with two bullets to the chest of the little boy, which led to his immediate death."

Ma'an could not independently confirm Al-Wahidi's claims.