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August 6, 2018:

The Netherlands-based foundation for #human_rights in the Arab world, Rights Radar(RR), called to an impartial and fair international investigation into the massacre that killed 55 civilians and injured more than 120 others last week in the fish market and at the gate of Thawra Hospital in the city of #Hodeida, west of #Yemen.

RR strongly condemned this massacre in #Hodeida occurred last Thursday, August 2, 2018, which amounts to a war crime.

She called on the United Nations and the international community to intervene to stop the series of massacres committed against civilians during the past three years of the war in #Yemen, and to ensure a fair and impartial international investigation that should reveal the actual perpetrators of these massacres, prevent their recurrence and preserve the rights of victims.

RR field reporters said that a bombardment by unknown artillery shells targeted the fish market and the gate of Thawra hospital in the city of #Hodeida last Thursday, caused killing 55 civilians, including 3 women and one child, and injuring more than 120 others.

Eyewitnesses told RR that bombardments targeted directly the fish market in the city of #Hodeida, killing 46 civilians, all of them are fishermen, fish sellers, and shoppers, while several shells targeted the gate of the Thawra hospital during the arrival of casualties, killing 9 civilians too.

The armed conflict parties in #Yemen exchanged accusations among committing the massacre of #Hodeida, as the #Houthi armed group accused the Saudi-led coalition of bombing the fish market and the gate of Thawra hospital in #Hodeida by air raids, while the coalition denied his responsibility for it, and explained that their initial investigation revealed that the shells targeted these areas were artillery shells by mortars.

This massacre is one of series of massacres committed either by the Houthi militia or by the Saudi-led coalition forces during the last three years of the war in #Yemen, the two parties usually exchanging the accusations of committing it, while the truth is lost in the absence of impartial investigation that should reveal the actual perpetrators of these grave violations of human rights.

RR called on the warring parties in #Yemen to spare civilians direct targeting, ensuring safe corridors for them during armed clashes, and to abide by the international law of human rights regarding the protection of civilians during the armed conflicts.