Amnesty warns of disaster in Palestinian territories

"We see a downward spiral of human rights abuses and entrenched impunity," Irene Khan wrote in an open letter to EU heads of state after a week-long trip to Israel and the Palestinian territories.

"The prognosis is of widespread violence, collapse of already failing Palestinian institutions and a worsening of the human rights and humanitarian crisis."

Khan slammed Israel's "deliberate and reckless shooting and artillery shelling or air strikes carried out in densely populated areas in the Gaza Strip."

She also criticized Palestinian militants for firing makeshift rockets at Israel, which "have created a climate of fear, which is leading to a hardening of positions in favour of a harsh military response".

"Despair about the forseeable future is fuelling violence and the radicalisation of a predominantly young Palestinian population who see no prospects of a normal life."

Khan recommended the establishment of a human rights monitoring mechanism, the investigation and prosecution of those responsible for crimes under international law, and the immediate halting of sales or transfer of weapons to all parties to the Middle East conflict.

She also called for the removal of Jewish settlements in the West Bank, the dismantling of Israel's separation barrier, an end to the strict closure system in the West Bank and a fair solution to the Palestinian refugee question.

Meanwhile, Palestinian leaders were to meet Saturday to decide on how to resolve a political crisis sparked by a crippling EU and US aid boycott against the Islamist-led government.