Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip "violated the laws of war" by firing rockets at populated areas in the Zionist Entity during the eight-day war last month.

Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip "violated the laws of war" by firing rockets at populated areas in the Zionist Entity during the eight-day war last month, Human Rights Watch said on Monday.

Citing Zionist army figures, HRW said that approximately "1,500 rockets were fired at Israel between November 14 and 21," of which "at least 800 struck Israel, including 60 that hit populated areas."

These attacks "killed three Israelis, wounded at least 38, several seriously, and destroyed civilian property," HRW said, noting that there were also rockets fired from Gaza "that fell short of their intended targets in Israel apparently killed at least two Palestinians".

"Palestinian armed groups made clear in their statements that harming civilians was their aim," Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement.

HRW rejected claims by the armed wings of Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Popular Resistance Committee that their targeting of Israeli civilians was a legitimate "reprisal for Israeli attacks that killed civilians in Gaza".

"There is simply no legal justification for launching rockets at populated areas."

Last week, HRW said Zionist Entity’s attacks on media facilities and journalists in Gaza also violated the laws of war. But the organization didn’t mention the bombing of the Palestinian civil infrastructure and houses in Gaza.

191 Palestinians and six Israelis were killed during that fighting. Most of the Palestinian fatalities were civilians, although Israel says 30 senior militants were among the dead. Four of the Israelis killed by rocket strikes were civilians, and two were soldiers.

HRW said that under the laws of war, "civilians and civilian structures may not be subject to deliberate attacks or attacks that do not discriminate between civilians and military targets."