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Damning report slams Israel, Hamas over civilian deaths, destruction
Rio de Janeiro News.Net
Friday 3rd July, 2009
Israeli forces killed hundreds of unarmed Palestinian civilians and destroyed thousands of homes in Gaza in attacks which breached the laws of war, Amnesty International concluded in a new report published this week.
Operation 'Cast Lead': 22 days of death and destruction, is the first comprehensive report to be published on the conflict, which took place earlier this year.
"Israel's failure to properly investigate its forces' conduct in Gaza, including war crimes, and its continuing refusal to cooperate with the UN international independent fact-finding mission headed by Richard Goldstone, is evidence of its intention to avoid public scrutiny and accountability," said Donatella Rovera, who headed a field research mission to Gaza and southern Israel during and after the conflict.
"The international community, led by the UN Security Council, must use all its leverage to ensure that Israel cooperates fully with the Goldstone inquiry, which now offers the best means to establish the truth."
The Amnesty International report documents Israel's use of battlefield weapons against a civilian population trapped in Gaza, with no means of escape and is based on evidence gathered by Amnesty International delegates, including a military expert, during field research in January and February. The report shows that Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups fired hundreds of rockets into southern Israel, killing three Israeli civilians, injuring scores and driving thousands from their homes. "Such unlawful attacks constitute war crimes and are unacceptable," added Rovera.
The scale and intensity of the attacks on Gaza were unprecedented. Some 300 children and hundreds of other unarmed civilians who took no part in the conflict were among the 1,400 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces, said Amnesty.
Most were killed with high-precision weapons, relying on surveillance drones which have exceptionally good optics, allowing those observing to see their targets in detail. Others were killed with imprecise weapons, including artillery shells carrying white phosphorus – not previously used in Gaza - which should never be used in densely populated areas, said the Amnesty report.
Amnesty International found that the victims of the attacks it investigated were not caught in the crossfire during battles between Palestinian militants and Israeli forces, nor were they shielding militants or other military objects. Many were killed when their homes were bombed while they slept. Others were sitting in their yard or hanging the laundry on the roof. Children were struck while playing in their bedrooms or on the roof, or near their homes. Paramedics and ambulances were repeatedly attacked while attempting to rescue the wounded or recover the dead.
"The deaths of so many children and other civilians cannot be dismissed simply as 'collateral damage', as argued by Israel," said Donatella Rovera. "Many questions remain to be answered about these attacks and about the fact that the strikes continued unabated despite the rising civilian death toll."
More than 3,000 homes were destroyed and some 20,000 damaged in Israeli attacks which reduced entire neighbourhoods of Gaza to rubble and left an already dire economic situation in ruins. Much of the destruction was wanton and could not be justified on grounds of "military necessity".
Amnesty says the Israeli army has not responded to it's repeated requests over the past five months for information on specific cases detailed in the report and for meetings to discuss the organization’s findings.
"For its part, Hamas has continued to justify the rocket attacks launched daily by its fighters and by other Palestinian armed groups into towns and villages in southern Israel during the 22-day conflict. Though less lethal, these attacks, using unguided rockets which cannot be directed at specific targets, violated international humanitarian law and cannot be justified under any circumstance," said Donatella Rovera.
In addition to locally made Qassam rockets, Palestinian militants often fired longer-range Grad-type rockets smuggled into Gaza via the tunnels on the Egyptian border, which reached deeper into Israel and placed many more Israeli civilians at risk.
"Five months on, neither side has shown any inclination to change its practices and abide by international humanitarian law, raising the prospect that civilians will again bear the brunt if fighting resumes," said Donatella Rovera.
Under international law, states have a responsibility to exercise universal jurisdiction and start criminal investigations in national courts, wherever there is sufficient evidence of war crimes or other crimes under international law, to arrest and bring to justice alleged perpetrators.
"Those responsible for war crimes and other serious violations must not be allowed to escape accountability and justice," said Donatella Rovera.
Among other recommendations, the report calls on states to suspend all transfers of military equipment, assistance and munitions to Israel, Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups until there is no longer a substantial risk that such equipment will be used to commit serious violations of international law.
It calls on Israel to commit not to carry out direct, indiscriminate or disproportionate attacks on civilians; or use artillery, mortars and white phosphorus weapons in densely populated areas; and to end its blockade on the Gaza Strip, which is collectively punishing the entire population.
The report urges Hamas to renounce its policy of unlawful rocket attacks against civilian population centres in Israel and to prevent other armed groups from carrying out such attacks.  Email this story to a friend
Comments on this story
Anonymous
07-04-09, 01:25 AM |
Damning report slams Israel, Hamas over civilian deaths, destruction
Israel.. damning facts continue to surface... whilst ignorance still reigns supreme
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Anonymous
07-04-09, 05:04 AM |
Both as bad as one another eh.
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yukon
07-04-09, 05:21 AM |
Damning report slams Israel, Hamas over civilian deaths, destruction
Unregistered;147940:
Israel.. damning facts continue to surface... whilst ignorance still reigns supreme
The jihadists will never learn, evidently. Muslimaniacs have to be the worlds dumbest people!
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Anonymous
07-04-09, 07:36 AM |
The Israeli’s are trying to ethnicly cleanse Palestinians, no question about that. After all the jews say hey have been through, they in turn have done to others. Israel will never have my respect. I hope they get run out of wht they think is their country one day. Israel is one pathetic and violent country built on war monger mentality. They have made all the neighboring countries hate them through their actions of constant conflict and war. They refuse to take responsibility for anything they do; thus making them so arrogant.
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goIsrael
07-04-09, 09:36 AM |
Not sure what your definition of ethnically cleanse means but....
Unregistered;147968:
The Israeli’s are trying to ethnicly cleanse Palestinians, no question about that. After all the jews say hey have been through, they in turn have done to others. Israel will never have my respect. I hope they get run out of wht they think is their country one day. Israel is one pathetic and violent country built on war monger mentality. They have made all the neighboring countries hate them through their actions of constant conflict and war. They refuse to take responsibility for anything they do; thus making them so arrogant.
You have the roles reversed.
Goebels would be very proud of your double think and lies.
Palestinians are the ones if they had the military might AND HELD ALL THE CARDS they would murder every Israeli jew in their beds.
They have created groups with that express goal in their charters!
If Israel wanted the Palestians dead it would have happened long ago.
I know your a brainwashed little parasite but try and not be so insipidly stupid.
If Israel had any sense they would fire up all the bulldozers and push the Palestinians hovels into the sea right where the Palestinians have said they want to push the Israelis long ago.
Israel is a reality Palestine is a figment of a deluded imagination.
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Shame.
07-04-09, 11:12 AM |
Israel and Palestinians.
Dear posters. Compare this. What are you going say? If it is happen to yourself. I hope you would let Israel continue to bombs yours home and continue to kill your family. Tell me. If someone comes to yours home and try wipe you out. I believe you will let they to do it and you will be very happy cause they destroy it for you. I want true answer.
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Friend of Israel
07-04-09, 11:50 AM |
report slams Israel
Fortunately Amnesty Int. may be ignored as they are not an authority over anyone, anywhere. They hold no power and can easily be discounted.
I pray that someday, soon I hope, they’ll see God’s Loving Light and come to the full knowledge of HIS Truth.
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Anonymous
07-04-09, 12:36 PM |
Liars and twister of facts
GoIsrael : Well said
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secret slave
07-04-09, 02:15 PM |
Who supplies the weapon account same whom approves immunity letters when stepping outside Wisdom
salaam = peace
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secret slave
07-04-09, 02:16 PM |
Claiming Wisdom not required upon rulership of measurement and guage !
salaam,
Saying ask them not to explain the procession of Wisdom in Ownership matters ?
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secret slave
07-04-09, 02:18 PM |
No immunity letter presented before the 1948 Treaty of deciet!
salaam = peace
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secret slave
07-04-09, 02:19 PM |
Broke two laws of Wisdom with One Treaty affair of 1948!
salaam = peace
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secret slave
07-04-09, 02:20 PM |
Robbery was never lawful in Wisdom of records
salaam,
So what makes one record valid and another record invalidated !
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secret slave
07-04-09, 02:22 PM |
Wisdom enough to know some robbers do document their work efforts !
salaam,
So when it claims it separated matters ?
How long did it take to separate the matter mentioned?
Calls it civilized matters ?
feeamanellaah
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Historian
07-04-09, 08:57 PM |
Hamas & Palestinians Habitually tell the world Lies!
Hamas and the Palestinians make the news fit them to gain as much sympathy however they can. Just like the lies at Jenin and so many other examples of them not telling the truth. They do use children and women to carry bombs and put arsinals next to Schools Hospitals & mosques purposely. Don’t be decieved by their incredible lies. No documentation, only one or two civilians make 100 to them. It is a shame they are as they are for Statehood is a fading vision it the Palestinians don’t have a revolution and wipeout Hamas and put honest men in their place. Law and order and transparency will do it. Solve all their problems but hatred and teaching their children to kill instead of read and write will keep them in their own selfmade desperate lives.
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