The AP is reporting today that Human Rights Watch has rejected Hamas claims and found the group did indeed target civilians in their attacks last year against Israel.
The human rights group which earlier issued a report on the war that largely focused on actions by Israel has criticized, and been criticized by, Israel in the past.
HRW's new criticism of Hamas is based on Hamas' internal report, a copy of which was obtained by the AP.
In it Hamas claimed
that its rocket and mortar fire were directed solely at military targets and that any civilian casualties were accidental.
HRW assessment of this claim
"Most of the rocket attacks on Israel hit civilian areas, which suggests that civilians were the target" and Hamas' claim of aiming for military targets "is belied by the facts," said Bill van Esveld, a researcher for Human Rights Watch.
He added that statements from Hamas leaders during the fighting made clear that they intended to harm Israeli civilians.
"Deliberately targeting civilians is a war crime," van Esveld said.
He said Hamas also committed war crimes by launching rockets from populated areas, which endangered the local population in Gaza by raising the likelihood of Israeli retaliation.
"Fighters intentionally fired rockets from near civilians in order to shield themselves from counterattacks," he said.
According to the reporting Hamas officials were not immediately available for comment.
As I have stated before claims of war crimes in the conflict should be investigated. This is equally true for Israel as it is for Hamas.