The UN Human Rights Office said recent Israeli attacks that killed Palestinians in Gaza could amount to war crimes and other atrocity crimes. In a Friday statement, its office in the occupied Palestinian territory also expressed concern over a continuing pattern of attacks on Gaza police personnel and facilities. It said civilians in the enclave remain exposed to regular, unpredictable and lethal attacks, even when the number of Israeli strikes occasionally falls.

The office reported that at least 22 Palestinians, including women and children, were killed in Gaza between August 13 and 19. It cited a Wednesday Israeli attack on Gaza City’s municipal police headquarters that killed eight police officers and a 13-year-old girl.

Since January, the UN office has documented 18 Israeli attacks targeting police officers across Gaza, killing 77 Palestinians, including six children and four women. It said police are protected as civilians under international humanitarian law unless they directly and actively participate in hostilities. Office head Ajit Sunghay said it was difficult to see military necessity in Israel’s continuing attacks amid Gaza’s destruction.