Israel's recent war on Gaza brought enclave to verge of catastrophe, international rights organization says in its annual report, also criticizing Palestinian factions for human rights violations

Israel's recent war on Gaza brought the enclave to the brink of a catastrophe, Amnesty International said, also lambasting the two main Palestinian factions for human rights violations.

The massive offensive Israel launched on December 27 in response to ongoing rocket fire from the territory "brought conditions to the brink of human catastrophe," the London-based group said in its annual report.

The 22-day war killed more than 1,400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis and left large swathes of Gaza in ruins and earned Israel widespread condemnation and charges of possible war crimes from rights groups.

Amnesty also criticized the blockade Israel imposed on Gaza in June 2007 after Hamas, a group pledged to the destruction of the …