29 june 2015
Mary McGowan Davis, chair of the UN Independent Commission of Inquiry on the 2014 Gaza Conflict, looks on prior to addressing a Human Rights Council session on March 23, 2015.
An independent United Nations commission presented a report to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday, detailing international law violations during Israel’s military offensive on Gaza last summer.
The report, presented by Mary McGowan Davis, commissioner of the UN Independent Commission of Inquiry on the 2014 Gaza Conflict, painstakingly details the degree to which Palestinian children were “savagely affected” by Israel’s military assault on Gaza.
The report highlights violations by Israeli forces, including indiscriminate attacks against civilians and unlawful airstrikes on residential buildings, as well as violations by Palestinian armed groups.
“We welcome the commission’s findings, but concrete action must be taken to challenge the status quo of systemic impunity for international law violations committed by Israeli forces,” said Khaled Quzmar, DCIP’s general director. “Without accountability, Palestinian children will continue to bear the brunt of Israeli military offensives and prolonged military occupation.”
Specific cases examined by the commission in the full report include, among others, the killing of four boys on a Gaza City beach by Israeli missiles and the use of a Palestinian teen as a human shield by Israeli forces. Zakariya Ahed Subhi Baker, 10, Ahed Atef Ahed Baker, 9, Ismail Mohammad Subhi Baker, 9, and Mohammad Ramez Ezzat Baker, 11, were cousins from fishermen families, and had been playing on a Gaza City beach when two missiles hit them just after 4 p.m. on July 16, 2014. Israeli soldiers repeatedly used Ahmad Abu Raida, 17, as a human shield for five days while he was detained during Israel’s ground invasion of the Gaza Strip.
The report also highlighted the unlawful killing of Hashem Khader Abu Maria, 45, coordinator of DCIP’s community mobilization unit. Israeli forces shot Hashem in the chest with live ammunition as he stood at a demonstration in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza on July 25, 2014, in the West Bank town of Beit Ummar. The commission found that Hashem did not present any “direct or imminent threat” to Israeli forces or any other persons.
Following the report presentation, DCIP delivered an oral statement [PDF] to the UN Human Rights Council, urging UN member states to demand that Israel ends its prolonged military occupation of Palestinians living in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and its ongoing siege on the Gaza Strip. DCIP also called on all UN member states to actively support and ensure the full and immediate implementation of the recommendations contained in the report of the Independent Commission of Inquiry on the 2014 Gaza Conflict.
The UN Human Rights Council, composed of 47 UN member states, is responsible for the promotion and protection of all human rights. The Council meets three times per year and regularly addresses the situation of Palestinian children living in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
In July 2014, the Human Rights Council passed a resolution establishing the independent commission to investigate alleged violations of international law during Israel’s July-August military assault on Gaza.
An independent United Nations commission presented a report to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday, detailing international law violations during Israel’s military offensive on Gaza last summer.
The report, presented by Mary McGowan Davis, commissioner of the UN Independent Commission of Inquiry on the 2014 Gaza Conflict, painstakingly details the degree to which Palestinian children were “savagely affected” by Israel’s military assault on Gaza.
The report highlights violations by Israeli forces, including indiscriminate attacks against civilians and unlawful airstrikes on residential buildings, as well as violations by Palestinian armed groups.
“We welcome the commission’s findings, but concrete action must be taken to challenge the status quo of systemic impunity for international law violations committed by Israeli forces,” said Khaled Quzmar, DCIP’s general director. “Without accountability, Palestinian children will continue to bear the brunt of Israeli military offensives and prolonged military occupation.”
Specific cases examined by the commission in the full report include, among others, the killing of four boys on a Gaza City beach by Israeli missiles and the use of a Palestinian teen as a human shield by Israeli forces. Zakariya Ahed Subhi Baker, 10, Ahed Atef Ahed Baker, 9, Ismail Mohammad Subhi Baker, 9, and Mohammad Ramez Ezzat Baker, 11, were cousins from fishermen families, and had been playing on a Gaza City beach when two missiles hit them just after 4 p.m. on July 16, 2014. Israeli soldiers repeatedly used Ahmad Abu Raida, 17, as a human shield for five days while he was detained during Israel’s ground invasion of the Gaza Strip.
The report also highlighted the unlawful killing of Hashem Khader Abu Maria, 45, coordinator of DCIP’s community mobilization unit. Israeli forces shot Hashem in the chest with live ammunition as he stood at a demonstration in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza on July 25, 2014, in the West Bank town of Beit Ummar. The commission found that Hashem did not present any “direct or imminent threat” to Israeli forces or any other persons.
Following the report presentation, DCIP delivered an oral statement [PDF] to the UN Human Rights Council, urging UN member states to demand that Israel ends its prolonged military occupation of Palestinians living in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and its ongoing siege on the Gaza Strip. DCIP also called on all UN member states to actively support and ensure the full and immediate implementation of the recommendations contained in the report of the Independent Commission of Inquiry on the 2014 Gaza Conflict.
The UN Human Rights Council, composed of 47 UN member states, is responsible for the promotion and protection of all human rights. The Council meets three times per year and regularly addresses the situation of Palestinian children living in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
In July 2014, the Human Rights Council passed a resolution establishing the independent commission to investigate alleged violations of international law during Israel’s July-August military assault on Gaza.
A right-wing Israeli organisation has approached the International Criminal Court in The Hague with a demand that it should sack its chief prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda. The demand has been made against the backdrop of her decision to open a preliminary investigation into the claims that the Israeli army committed war crimes against the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
Israeli Hayom newspaper reported on Sunday that the Shurat Hadin-Israel Law Centre has "reached out" to the ICC to disqualify its chief prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, from dealing with matters relating to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. "This follows her remarks about the Palestinian Authority's plan to promote the UNHRC report as 'proof' of 'Israeli crimes.'"
The newspaper quoted Shurat Hadin's chairwoman, Nitzana Darshan-Leitner, as saying that the Palestinian demands "designed for PR and to pressure Israel are weak and baseless, and Israel has strong claims that counter and nullify the suit."
According to Darshan-Leitner, Israel's hands are tied and it cannot make its arguments before the court because it challenges the authority of the court and sees it as biased. "If [Israel] were to take part in the process, it would be considered an assent to the court's authority, and it would be required to accept its ruling," she added.
Israeli Hayom newspaper reported on Sunday that the Shurat Hadin-Israel Law Centre has "reached out" to the ICC to disqualify its chief prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, from dealing with matters relating to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. "This follows her remarks about the Palestinian Authority's plan to promote the UNHRC report as 'proof' of 'Israeli crimes.'"
The newspaper quoted Shurat Hadin's chairwoman, Nitzana Darshan-Leitner, as saying that the Palestinian demands "designed for PR and to pressure Israel are weak and baseless, and Israel has strong claims that counter and nullify the suit."
According to Darshan-Leitner, Israel's hands are tied and it cannot make its arguments before the court because it challenges the authority of the court and sees it as biased. "If [Israel] were to take part in the process, it would be considered an assent to the court's authority, and it would be required to accept its ruling," she added.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that his government is studying the possibility to withdraw from UN Human Rights Council.
The Israeli radio station revealed that Netanyahu said so in a closed meeting after the Council published its inquiry report on the Israeli aggression on Gaza in the summer of 2014.
The UN Human Rights Council held a special hearing for the inquiry’s report which accused Israel of committing war crimes in its aggression on Gaza.
The Israeli radio station revealed that Netanyahu said so in a closed meeting after the Council published its inquiry report on the Israeli aggression on Gaza in the summer of 2014.
The UN Human Rights Council held a special hearing for the inquiry’s report which accused Israel of committing war crimes in its aggression on Gaza.
UNHRC debates report that accused both Israel and Palestinians of humanitarian abuses; Israel believes majority will vote to adopt report and form monitoring mechanism.
Israel and the Palestinians promised on Monday to investigate alleged war crimes committed by their forces during the 2014 Gaza war, amid growing calls for an end to impunity on both sides.
During an often virulent three-hour debate at the UN Human Rights Council, boycotted by Israel, the president of the Geneva forum rebuked envoys of Saudi Arabia and Venezuela for referring to Israel as a "racist regime" and its "genocidal aggression".
The United Nation's international investigation commission submitted its report on Operation Protective Edge to the UNHRC in Geneva on Monday
"This report will be another source of information for our internal investigation," Eviatar Manor, Israel's ambassador, told reporters inside the UNbuilding in Geneva as hundreds of pro-Israeli supporters demonstrated outside.
"A substantial number of cases have been reviewed, investigated and closed. There are about 100 cases which are still open. Alleged war crimes are very, very serious crimes."
Investigations had to be serious and comprehensive "before indictments are being prepared so that the indictments will also carry with them weight and assure prosecution", Manor said.
The commission determined that one third of Gaza dead during Protective Edge were children and urged both sides to cooperate with International Criminal Court investigations. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the report biased.
Mary McGowan Davis, chair of the UN commission on the inquiry, told the forum Israel's Military Advocate General "incorrectly applied international humanitarian law by reversing the presumption of civilian status in case of doubt.
"This example does not augur well for the investigative process," she said.
The Palestinian Authority last week submitted its first evidence of alleged Israeli war crimes to the International Criminal Court, trying to speed up an ICC inquiry into abuses.
Palestinian Ambassador Ibrahim Khraishi told the council: "It is important to operate universal jurisdiction as long as Israel continues this pattern."
The Palestinian Authority was discussing setting up a committee to probe allegations of violations by Gaza militants, in line with the UN recommendations, he said. "This would show we are completely willing to uphold our legal commitments."
Vote at UNHRC
The shape of the draft resolution that will be brought to vote is still unclear, and recent days have seen behind-the-scenes efforts to forge a solid proposal. Pakistan was set to present - in the name of the council's Islamic bloc - a proposal to adopt the report and send it to an international body such as the UN General Assembly, the Security Council, the Secretary General, or the International Criminal Court in the Hague.
Israel believes the proposal will pass a vote and support a mechanism to monitor its application. Jerusalem and its allies have already declared their opposition to any formulation that calls for putting the report before the Security Council.
Israel has asked members of the Human Rights Council to oppose the report or least refrain from voting.
Last week, the Foreign Ministry launched a diplomatic campaign aimed at convincing as many of the 47 council members as possible to vote against the report of the investigative commission's report.
The Foreign Ministry's European Deputy Director-General Aviv Shir-On urged his staff to convince the European representatives to voice opposition to the report and the framework in which it was created. He stressed on the commission's "distorted" authority and its generally negative attitude towards Israel.
Alongside the council's debate, two pro-Israel organizations - NGO Monitor and UN Watch - were shceduled to hold expert panels that will analyze the report from a military standpoint, the issue of international justice and the structure of international terrorist groups. The panel will include various experts to provide other perspectives on the UN report.
Israel and the Palestinians promised on Monday to investigate alleged war crimes committed by their forces during the 2014 Gaza war, amid growing calls for an end to impunity on both sides.
During an often virulent three-hour debate at the UN Human Rights Council, boycotted by Israel, the president of the Geneva forum rebuked envoys of Saudi Arabia and Venezuela for referring to Israel as a "racist regime" and its "genocidal aggression".
The United Nation's international investigation commission submitted its report on Operation Protective Edge to the UNHRC in Geneva on Monday
"This report will be another source of information for our internal investigation," Eviatar Manor, Israel's ambassador, told reporters inside the UNbuilding in Geneva as hundreds of pro-Israeli supporters demonstrated outside.
"A substantial number of cases have been reviewed, investigated and closed. There are about 100 cases which are still open. Alleged war crimes are very, very serious crimes."
Investigations had to be serious and comprehensive "before indictments are being prepared so that the indictments will also carry with them weight and assure prosecution", Manor said.
The commission determined that one third of Gaza dead during Protective Edge were children and urged both sides to cooperate with International Criminal Court investigations. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the report biased.
Mary McGowan Davis, chair of the UN commission on the inquiry, told the forum Israel's Military Advocate General "incorrectly applied international humanitarian law by reversing the presumption of civilian status in case of doubt.
"This example does not augur well for the investigative process," she said.
The Palestinian Authority last week submitted its first evidence of alleged Israeli war crimes to the International Criminal Court, trying to speed up an ICC inquiry into abuses.
Palestinian Ambassador Ibrahim Khraishi told the council: "It is important to operate universal jurisdiction as long as Israel continues this pattern."
The Palestinian Authority was discussing setting up a committee to probe allegations of violations by Gaza militants, in line with the UN recommendations, he said. "This would show we are completely willing to uphold our legal commitments."
Vote at UNHRC
The shape of the draft resolution that will be brought to vote is still unclear, and recent days have seen behind-the-scenes efforts to forge a solid proposal. Pakistan was set to present - in the name of the council's Islamic bloc - a proposal to adopt the report and send it to an international body such as the UN General Assembly, the Security Council, the Secretary General, or the International Criminal Court in the Hague.
Israel believes the proposal will pass a vote and support a mechanism to monitor its application. Jerusalem and its allies have already declared their opposition to any formulation that calls for putting the report before the Security Council.
Israel has asked members of the Human Rights Council to oppose the report or least refrain from voting.
Last week, the Foreign Ministry launched a diplomatic campaign aimed at convincing as many of the 47 council members as possible to vote against the report of the investigative commission's report.
The Foreign Ministry's European Deputy Director-General Aviv Shir-On urged his staff to convince the European representatives to voice opposition to the report and the framework in which it was created. He stressed on the commission's "distorted" authority and its generally negative attitude towards Israel.
Alongside the council's debate, two pro-Israel organizations - NGO Monitor and UN Watch - were shceduled to hold expert panels that will analyze the report from a military standpoint, the issue of international justice and the structure of international terrorist groups. The panel will include various experts to provide other perspectives on the UN report.
United Nations Human Rights Council debates report that accused both Israel and Palestinians of humanitarian abuses; Israel believes majority will vote to adopt report and form monitoring mechanism.
The United Nation's international investigation commission's report on Operation Protective Edge was submitted to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday, with hundreds of pro-Israel activists expected to arrive outside.
While the council was to debate the report on Monday, voting on it will likely not occur until later this week.
The report by the commission, which was headed by Mary McGowan-Davis, accused both Israel and the Palestinian terror organizations in the Gaza Strip of grave abuses of international humanitarian law.
The commission determined that one third of Gaza dead during Protective Edge were children and urged both sides to cooperate with International Criminal Court investigations.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the report biased. The shape of the draft resolution that will be brought to vote is still unclear, and recent days have seen behind-the-scenes efforts to forge a solid proposal. Pakistan was set to present -- in the name of the council's Islamic bloc -- a proposal to adopt the report and send it to an international body such as the UN General Assembly, the Security Council, the Secretary General, or the International Criminal Court in the Hague.
Israel believes the proposal will pass a vote and support a mechanism to monitor its application. Jerusalem and its allies have already declared their opposition to any formulation that calls for putting the report before the Security Council.
Israel has asked members of the Human Rights Council to oppose the report or least refrain from voting. Israel will not participate in the debate, but Israel's ambassador in Geneva, Eviatar Manor, will hold a press conference about it.
The United Nation's international investigation commission's report on Operation Protective Edge was submitted to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on Monday, with hundreds of pro-Israel activists expected to arrive outside.
While the council was to debate the report on Monday, voting on it will likely not occur until later this week.
The report by the commission, which was headed by Mary McGowan-Davis, accused both Israel and the Palestinian terror organizations in the Gaza Strip of grave abuses of international humanitarian law.
The commission determined that one third of Gaza dead during Protective Edge were children and urged both sides to cooperate with International Criminal Court investigations.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the report biased. The shape of the draft resolution that will be brought to vote is still unclear, and recent days have seen behind-the-scenes efforts to forge a solid proposal. Pakistan was set to present -- in the name of the council's Islamic bloc -- a proposal to adopt the report and send it to an international body such as the UN General Assembly, the Security Council, the Secretary General, or the International Criminal Court in the Hague.
Israel believes the proposal will pass a vote and support a mechanism to monitor its application. Jerusalem and its allies have already declared their opposition to any formulation that calls for putting the report before the Security Council.
Israel has asked members of the Human Rights Council to oppose the report or least refrain from voting. Israel will not participate in the debate, but Israel's ambassador in Geneva, Eviatar Manor, will hold a press conference about it.
Hanin Zoabi
The victim always honours the truth while the perpetrator evades it. Israel refuses to accept, discuss or even refute conclusions reached by any investigation into its actions. Instead, it begins to curse, incite and prevent UN delegations from entering the Gaza Strip.
Meanwhile, we bless any serious investigation regarding what has happened and is happening in Gaza, despite the fact that we do not need a UN report to confirm to us that Israel committed war crimes against our people. We support the report despite the fact that it is not an indictment against Israel nor is it the result of legal procedures; it is a report presented by the UN Human Rights Council.
However, such reports can form the basis for filing a complaint and requesting an investigation by the International Criminal Court in The Hague. Israel's disregard for the UN report is reason enough for international circles to disregard its own reports. Those who disregard international reports and label them as "blood-stained reports" prove their inability to deal objectively with a report of this kind, even if they are the source of the report.
We are not concerned with Israel's reactions; we are concerned with our reaction and being dealt with as a victim with a document that forms the basis for the prosecution for the child-killers who "do not forget to give them candy".
The Palestinian response should be that we welcome the report and any serious and independent investigation into the war crimes that were committed. We also accept the report's recommendation to go to the ICC to prosecute the war criminals, as well as the UN recommendation to demand that Israel sign the Rome Statute, especially since the Palestinian Authority signed this document recently.
As for the group of people in Israel who want to "console themselves" by balancing between the offender and the victim, they claim that the report is more balanced than the Goldstone Report and alleges that Israel and "Palestinian armed groups" are war criminals. However, reading the report shows this to be false, for the following reasons.
It alludes to the fact that the Israeli government is responsible for the situation that led to it committing war crimes and indicates that what happened is within the context of the siege and one cannot understand and evaluate what occurred in Gaza in isolation from the blockade imposed by Israel, which is equivalent to the "collective punishment" of the Palestinians.
The report also stressed Israel's continued refusal to cooperate with the Human Rights Council, including refusing to issue permits to its delegations to enter Gaza, the West Bank and Jerusalem. The UN also noted that Egypt has not allowed its delegations to enter Gaza through the Rafah crossing. This forced the HRC to accept 280 direct interviews, 500 written testimonies and review official Israeli government websites. As for the Palestinian Authority, the report notes that it cooperated with the council.
The report addresses the magnitude of the crime in a manner that suits the magnitude of the destruction and death-toll. It attributes the lion's share of the crimes to Israel, representing each crime in numbers. It stated that there were 2,251 Palestinians killed, of which 551 were children; 11,231 were wounded, including 3,436 children; 430 children will have permanent disabilities.
In addition, the attack left 1,500 children orphaned, eliminated whole families and destroyed entire neighbourhoods. Moreover, 142 Palestinian families lost at least three members. The report concluded that "the high incidence of loss of human life and injury in Gaza is heart-breaking."
As for the destruction and demolition of Gaza's infrastructure, the report pointed out that 18,000 homes were demolished in Gaza and that the electricity lines, water supplies and wastewater network have all sustained damage. In addition to this, 73 medical centres and dozens of ambulances were destroyed, and half a million Palestinians, that's 28 per cent of the Gaza population, have now become refugees. The report also mentioned Israel's destruction of UN shelters and UN institutions, including medical centres and ambulances. It noted that Israel launched 6,000 strikes, the majority of which hit residential areas.
In addition, the report pointed out that 73 Israelis were killed and 1,600 were wounded, including 270 children. The Palestinians fired 4,881 rockets and 1, 753 mortars from Gaza.
While the report used expressions such as "psychological trauma", "fear", "panic", "sense of safety", "breaking daily routine" and "living under persistent threat" to describe the situation in Israel, it used expressions such as "complete destruction", "heart-breaking incidence of loss of human life and injury", "security crisis" and "the systematic recurrence of human rights violations" to describe the situation in Gaza.
The HRC not only blames Israel for the magnitude and size of the destruction, but also for deliberate murder. For example, Israel deliberately bombed buildings during mealtimes in Ramadan, or at night while everyone was asleep. Israel bombed inhabited buildings even though it believed that there were civilians inside; it has no excuses for its war crimes. Israel's claim that it gave residents advance warning to evacuate their homes was responded to by the UN, which pointed out that 44 per cent of Gaza consists of confined spaces and therefore there is no nearby "safe" area to flee to.
The report stressed that Israel did not do all that it could have done to ensure that it did not kill civilians and that its "ignorance" regarding its operations killing civilians could have been dispelled a few days into the raids. However, the raids continued in the same manner, which indicated that there was a "set pattern of raids", thus suggesting that Israel aimed to kill as many Palestinians as possible. It added that reconstruction is not a substitute or in place of the complete and immediate lifting of the siege imposed on Gaza.
The UN report presents an opportunity to hold Israel accountable internationally and an opportunity for the Palestinian popular and official parties to insist that Israel should sign the Rome Statute. We must take this report to the ICC and be determined to do so for the sake of the persevering struggles of our people and for the sake of Gaza's heroic steadfastness.
Translated from Arab48, 27 June, 2015.
The victim always honours the truth while the perpetrator evades it. Israel refuses to accept, discuss or even refute conclusions reached by any investigation into its actions. Instead, it begins to curse, incite and prevent UN delegations from entering the Gaza Strip.
Meanwhile, we bless any serious investigation regarding what has happened and is happening in Gaza, despite the fact that we do not need a UN report to confirm to us that Israel committed war crimes against our people. We support the report despite the fact that it is not an indictment against Israel nor is it the result of legal procedures; it is a report presented by the UN Human Rights Council.
However, such reports can form the basis for filing a complaint and requesting an investigation by the International Criminal Court in The Hague. Israel's disregard for the UN report is reason enough for international circles to disregard its own reports. Those who disregard international reports and label them as "blood-stained reports" prove their inability to deal objectively with a report of this kind, even if they are the source of the report.
We are not concerned with Israel's reactions; we are concerned with our reaction and being dealt with as a victim with a document that forms the basis for the prosecution for the child-killers who "do not forget to give them candy".
The Palestinian response should be that we welcome the report and any serious and independent investigation into the war crimes that were committed. We also accept the report's recommendation to go to the ICC to prosecute the war criminals, as well as the UN recommendation to demand that Israel sign the Rome Statute, especially since the Palestinian Authority signed this document recently.
As for the group of people in Israel who want to "console themselves" by balancing between the offender and the victim, they claim that the report is more balanced than the Goldstone Report and alleges that Israel and "Palestinian armed groups" are war criminals. However, reading the report shows this to be false, for the following reasons.
It alludes to the fact that the Israeli government is responsible for the situation that led to it committing war crimes and indicates that what happened is within the context of the siege and one cannot understand and evaluate what occurred in Gaza in isolation from the blockade imposed by Israel, which is equivalent to the "collective punishment" of the Palestinians.
The report also stressed Israel's continued refusal to cooperate with the Human Rights Council, including refusing to issue permits to its delegations to enter Gaza, the West Bank and Jerusalem. The UN also noted that Egypt has not allowed its delegations to enter Gaza through the Rafah crossing. This forced the HRC to accept 280 direct interviews, 500 written testimonies and review official Israeli government websites. As for the Palestinian Authority, the report notes that it cooperated with the council.
The report addresses the magnitude of the crime in a manner that suits the magnitude of the destruction and death-toll. It attributes the lion's share of the crimes to Israel, representing each crime in numbers. It stated that there were 2,251 Palestinians killed, of which 551 were children; 11,231 were wounded, including 3,436 children; 430 children will have permanent disabilities.
In addition, the attack left 1,500 children orphaned, eliminated whole families and destroyed entire neighbourhoods. Moreover, 142 Palestinian families lost at least three members. The report concluded that "the high incidence of loss of human life and injury in Gaza is heart-breaking."
As for the destruction and demolition of Gaza's infrastructure, the report pointed out that 18,000 homes were demolished in Gaza and that the electricity lines, water supplies and wastewater network have all sustained damage. In addition to this, 73 medical centres and dozens of ambulances were destroyed, and half a million Palestinians, that's 28 per cent of the Gaza population, have now become refugees. The report also mentioned Israel's destruction of UN shelters and UN institutions, including medical centres and ambulances. It noted that Israel launched 6,000 strikes, the majority of which hit residential areas.
In addition, the report pointed out that 73 Israelis were killed and 1,600 were wounded, including 270 children. The Palestinians fired 4,881 rockets and 1, 753 mortars from Gaza.
While the report used expressions such as "psychological trauma", "fear", "panic", "sense of safety", "breaking daily routine" and "living under persistent threat" to describe the situation in Israel, it used expressions such as "complete destruction", "heart-breaking incidence of loss of human life and injury", "security crisis" and "the systematic recurrence of human rights violations" to describe the situation in Gaza.
The HRC not only blames Israel for the magnitude and size of the destruction, but also for deliberate murder. For example, Israel deliberately bombed buildings during mealtimes in Ramadan, or at night while everyone was asleep. Israel bombed inhabited buildings even though it believed that there were civilians inside; it has no excuses for its war crimes. Israel's claim that it gave residents advance warning to evacuate their homes was responded to by the UN, which pointed out that 44 per cent of Gaza consists of confined spaces and therefore there is no nearby "safe" area to flee to.
The report stressed that Israel did not do all that it could have done to ensure that it did not kill civilians and that its "ignorance" regarding its operations killing civilians could have been dispelled a few days into the raids. However, the raids continued in the same manner, which indicated that there was a "set pattern of raids", thus suggesting that Israel aimed to kill as many Palestinians as possible. It added that reconstruction is not a substitute or in place of the complete and immediate lifting of the siege imposed on Gaza.
The UN report presents an opportunity to hold Israel accountable internationally and an opportunity for the Palestinian popular and official parties to insist that Israel should sign the Rome Statute. We must take this report to the ICC and be determined to do so for the sake of the persevering struggles of our people and for the sake of Gaza's heroic steadfastness.
Translated from Arab48, 27 June, 2015.
27 june 2015
Shaul Mofaz
Over the last two weeks, two Israeli war crimes suspects entered the UK. One, former Israeli minister Tzipi Livni, received diplomatic immunity in dubious circumstances. A second, former Israeli army chief of staff Shaul Mofaz, visited for just 48 hours and left before the authorities acted. These visits have prompted three questions. The first question is for the FCO. Livni, an opposition MK, came to London to speak at Fortune's Most Powerful Women International Summit. Since this would have constituted a personal visit, rather than an official one, Livni arranged a meeting with Foreign Office (FCO) minister Tobias Ellwood. The FCO then duly granted the visit 'special mission' status, and thus gave Livni immunity from prosecution.
This latest episode further damages the credibility of the FCO. Already last year, there was "growing concern over the government's issuing of special mission status, and the secrecy surrounding such moves." There continues to be a troubling lack of transparency about the criteria used by the FCO in determining who is eligible for Special Mission immunity (and for what kind of visit).
The clumsy way in which Livni's 2011 visit was handled illustrates the murky nature of the FCO approach. The Foreign Secretary's written statement in 2013, defining a special mission as "a temporary mission, representing a state, which is sent by one state to another with the consent of the latter, in order to carry out official engagements on behalf of the sending state", is insufficient.
This is because the FCO has not set any redlines, meaning that anyone, no matter how grave the war crimes they are suspected of having committed, can be granted immunity. In addition, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) must check on an individual basis with the FCO whenever the police contemplate making an arrest or a judicial arrest warrant is sought, a process that is both inefficient and, potentially compromising to confidentiality.
The second question is for the CPS. In the case of Mofaz, lawyers representing Palestinian victims told me that, in response to their approach, the CPS not only ignored the ordinary threshold necessary for arrest by the police, they also mis-applied the charging test when considering granting court access for a judicial arrest warrant. Lawyers working on the case were confident that a prima facie case against Mofaz had been presented, and that any queries could have been ironed out, following a police arrest.
The third question is for Israeli officials. Mofaz claimed his early return to Israel was for personal reasons, though Channel 2 thought otherwise. Others have maintained that the prospect of arrest is minimal, and the risk has been exaggerated. But the reality is that Israeli officials have never been confident enough to truly test the system: those liable to be arrested visit with special mission immunity, come on whistle-stop visits, or cut short their stays.
Mofaz apparently proceeded with his visit "in spite of advice" from Israeli government officials, claiming that were he not to participate in the conference, it would be "a 100 percent victory" for those seeking his arrest. Livni, meanwhile, declared that she is "not afraid", and "ready to pay the price" for her actions – yet, she has not risked a visit to the UK without immunity since her arrest warrant was issued in 2009.
The day after Mofaz's hasty departure, former Israeli naval commander Eliezer Marom penned an op-ed in Maariv on the threat of arrest still faced by Israeli officials (thanks to Ofer Neiman for translation). Marom, who was in charge during the Mavi Marmara assault and 'Operation Cast Lead', recounted how in 2013 he himself was questioned on arrival at Heathrow Airport.
Marom noted that the 2011 change in UK law has not ruled out the possibility of arrest, and describes how Israel's Justice Ministry has a dedicated section "dealing with the defence of heads of the security establishment against lawsuits in various states across the world."
This [was done] in order to allow former officers to continue to maintain their life routine and travel to foreign states. Army officers against whom an investigation is being conducted are required to coordinate their travels with the Ministry of Law, to avoid embarrassing incidents.
Marom concluded that despite various efforts to date, "incidents" of delays, interrogations, "and sometimes the risk of arrest", will "continue to accompany" former and present Israeli officials. This tallies with Israeli assessments since 2011; responding to a cancelled trip by Doron Almog in 2012, an anonymous senior Israeli official admitted that the while the "new British law is better than the original one", they "couldn't fully guarantee [Almog] an arrest warrant would not be issued again".
Contrast the visits of Livni and Mofaz with the arrest in London of Rwandan military general Karenzi Karake on behalf of Spanish authorities. A Human Rights Watch researcher expressed hopes that Karake's arrest "could be a really important in terms of accountability" since "many senior officials in Rwanda have never been held to account." When it comes to Israel, however, it is a different story.
According to Kristyan Benedict, Amnesty International UK's Crisis Manager, it is "well known" that "UK authorities are content to undermine efforts to bring alleged Israeli war criminals to justice." For Benedict, such "efforts to undermine international justice and entrench impunity are one of the main reasons this terrible conflict continues year after year."
Benedict also suggested that the "next test for how seriously the UK values international justice" would be the government's response to Palestinian efforts to seek justice "via the International Criminal Court."
At the time of the change in law – a change entirely the result of Israel's demands and the pressure of its UK-based lobby groups – the British government announced that the system would be "no longer open to abuse by people seeking warrants for grave crimes on the basis of scant evidence to make a political statement or to cause embarrassment." No examples of this 'abuse' were given.
But the government also claimed that "those accused of these grave crimes will still be brought to justice if there is sufficient evidence against them"." In 2013, the government emphasised that any application for special mission status "is considered carefully in view of...our policy of ending impunity for the most serious of international crimes." These commitments ring hollow every time Britain helps an Israeli war crimes suspect evade justice.
Over the last two weeks, two Israeli war crimes suspects entered the UK. One, former Israeli minister Tzipi Livni, received diplomatic immunity in dubious circumstances. A second, former Israeli army chief of staff Shaul Mofaz, visited for just 48 hours and left before the authorities acted. These visits have prompted three questions. The first question is for the FCO. Livni, an opposition MK, came to London to speak at Fortune's Most Powerful Women International Summit. Since this would have constituted a personal visit, rather than an official one, Livni arranged a meeting with Foreign Office (FCO) minister Tobias Ellwood. The FCO then duly granted the visit 'special mission' status, and thus gave Livni immunity from prosecution.
This latest episode further damages the credibility of the FCO. Already last year, there was "growing concern over the government's issuing of special mission status, and the secrecy surrounding such moves." There continues to be a troubling lack of transparency about the criteria used by the FCO in determining who is eligible for Special Mission immunity (and for what kind of visit).
The clumsy way in which Livni's 2011 visit was handled illustrates the murky nature of the FCO approach. The Foreign Secretary's written statement in 2013, defining a special mission as "a temporary mission, representing a state, which is sent by one state to another with the consent of the latter, in order to carry out official engagements on behalf of the sending state", is insufficient.
This is because the FCO has not set any redlines, meaning that anyone, no matter how grave the war crimes they are suspected of having committed, can be granted immunity. In addition, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) must check on an individual basis with the FCO whenever the police contemplate making an arrest or a judicial arrest warrant is sought, a process that is both inefficient and, potentially compromising to confidentiality.
The second question is for the CPS. In the case of Mofaz, lawyers representing Palestinian victims told me that, in response to their approach, the CPS not only ignored the ordinary threshold necessary for arrest by the police, they also mis-applied the charging test when considering granting court access for a judicial arrest warrant. Lawyers working on the case were confident that a prima facie case against Mofaz had been presented, and that any queries could have been ironed out, following a police arrest.
The third question is for Israeli officials. Mofaz claimed his early return to Israel was for personal reasons, though Channel 2 thought otherwise. Others have maintained that the prospect of arrest is minimal, and the risk has been exaggerated. But the reality is that Israeli officials have never been confident enough to truly test the system: those liable to be arrested visit with special mission immunity, come on whistle-stop visits, or cut short their stays.
Mofaz apparently proceeded with his visit "in spite of advice" from Israeli government officials, claiming that were he not to participate in the conference, it would be "a 100 percent victory" for those seeking his arrest. Livni, meanwhile, declared that she is "not afraid", and "ready to pay the price" for her actions – yet, she has not risked a visit to the UK without immunity since her arrest warrant was issued in 2009.
The day after Mofaz's hasty departure, former Israeli naval commander Eliezer Marom penned an op-ed in Maariv on the threat of arrest still faced by Israeli officials (thanks to Ofer Neiman for translation). Marom, who was in charge during the Mavi Marmara assault and 'Operation Cast Lead', recounted how in 2013 he himself was questioned on arrival at Heathrow Airport.
Marom noted that the 2011 change in UK law has not ruled out the possibility of arrest, and describes how Israel's Justice Ministry has a dedicated section "dealing with the defence of heads of the security establishment against lawsuits in various states across the world."
This [was done] in order to allow former officers to continue to maintain their life routine and travel to foreign states. Army officers against whom an investigation is being conducted are required to coordinate their travels with the Ministry of Law, to avoid embarrassing incidents.
Marom concluded that despite various efforts to date, "incidents" of delays, interrogations, "and sometimes the risk of arrest", will "continue to accompany" former and present Israeli officials. This tallies with Israeli assessments since 2011; responding to a cancelled trip by Doron Almog in 2012, an anonymous senior Israeli official admitted that the while the "new British law is better than the original one", they "couldn't fully guarantee [Almog] an arrest warrant would not be issued again".
Contrast the visits of Livni and Mofaz with the arrest in London of Rwandan military general Karenzi Karake on behalf of Spanish authorities. A Human Rights Watch researcher expressed hopes that Karake's arrest "could be a really important in terms of accountability" since "many senior officials in Rwanda have never been held to account." When it comes to Israel, however, it is a different story.
According to Kristyan Benedict, Amnesty International UK's Crisis Manager, it is "well known" that "UK authorities are content to undermine efforts to bring alleged Israeli war criminals to justice." For Benedict, such "efforts to undermine international justice and entrench impunity are one of the main reasons this terrible conflict continues year after year."
Benedict also suggested that the "next test for how seriously the UK values international justice" would be the government's response to Palestinian efforts to seek justice "via the International Criminal Court."
At the time of the change in law – a change entirely the result of Israel's demands and the pressure of its UK-based lobby groups – the British government announced that the system would be "no longer open to abuse by people seeking warrants for grave crimes on the basis of scant evidence to make a political statement or to cause embarrassment." No examples of this 'abuse' were given.
But the government also claimed that "those accused of these grave crimes will still be brought to justice if there is sufficient evidence against them"." In 2013, the government emphasised that any application for special mission status "is considered carefully in view of...our policy of ending impunity for the most serious of international crimes." These commitments ring hollow every time Britain helps an Israeli war crimes suspect evade justice.
26 june 2015
To reporters outside the ICC, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki confirmed that he had submitted 3 dosiers to the ICC
The White House said on Thursday that the Palestinians' efforts to prosecute Israel for war crimes at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague are "counterproductive", and stressed Washington's strong opposition. "The United States has made it clear that we oppose actions against Israel at the ICC as counterproductive," National Security Council spokesman Alistair Baskey said.
The Palestinian Authority submitted its first evidence of alleged Israeli war crimes to the ICC on Thursday in an attempt to speed up a court inquiry into abuses committed during last year's Gaza conflict.
Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki spoke to reporters outside the ICC after meeting Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda. He confirmed that he had submitted dossiers on the Gaza conflict, Israeli settlements on occupied land where Palestinians seek a state and the treatment of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
"Palestine is a test for the credibility of international mechanisms, a test that the world cannot afford to fail," insisted Maliki. "Palestine has decided to seek justice, not vengeance."
The White House said on Thursday that the Palestinians' efforts to prosecute Israel for war crimes at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague are "counterproductive", and stressed Washington's strong opposition. "The United States has made it clear that we oppose actions against Israel at the ICC as counterproductive," National Security Council spokesman Alistair Baskey said.
The Palestinian Authority submitted its first evidence of alleged Israeli war crimes to the ICC on Thursday in an attempt to speed up a court inquiry into abuses committed during last year's Gaza conflict.
Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki spoke to reporters outside the ICC after meeting Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda. He confirmed that he had submitted dossiers on the Gaza conflict, Israeli settlements on occupied land where Palestinians seek a state and the treatment of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
"Palestine is a test for the credibility of international mechanisms, a test that the world cannot afford to fail," insisted Maliki. "Palestine has decided to seek justice, not vengeance."
Hamas on Friday slammed a report by the U.S. state of department exonerating the Israeli occupation from crimes committed against the Palestinian people, branding the report counterfeit and an instance of incitement to murder.
Hamas spokesperson Sami Abu Zuhri said the U.S. report is not only unethical and incredible but also aggravates the gap between the peoples of the region and the U.S. administration.
Earlier on Thursday, an annual report on human rights released by the U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry claimed Israelis were subjected to the most serious violations of human rights and that civilian targets were victims of rocket attacks.
A UN report on Israel’s offensive on Gaza last summer documented evidence of war crimes committed by Israel against Palestinian civilians.
Hamas spokesperson Sami Abu Zuhri said the U.S. report is not only unethical and incredible but also aggravates the gap between the peoples of the region and the U.S. administration.
Earlier on Thursday, an annual report on human rights released by the U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry claimed Israelis were subjected to the most serious violations of human rights and that civilian targets were victims of rocket attacks.
A UN report on Israel’s offensive on Gaza last summer documented evidence of war crimes committed by Israel against Palestinian civilians.
Rocket fragments in Israel
Claims of excessive force, killings, abuse, limitations on freedom and more discussed in State Department document; violations by Hamas, Iran also examined.
A new report by the US State Department published on Thursday criticizes Israeli actions in the West Bank and Gaza, citing alleged "excessive use of force against civilians, including killings; abuse of Palestinian detainees, particularly during arrest and interrogation."
The Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2014 cover dozens of countries around the world, including Israel and the "occupied territories" in addition to alleged major human rights violators like Russia, Iran, and China. Other claims about Israel's human rights violations in the West Bank and Gaza include "austere and overcrowded detention facilities; improper use of security detention procedures; demolition and confiscation of Palestinian property; limitations on freedom of expression, assembly, and association; and severe restrictions on Palestinians’ internal and external freedom of movement."
The report also noted violence by settlers against Palestinians was a persistent problem, as well as "inconsistent punishment of these acts by Israeli authorities." The report also addresses Israel's restriction on travel for Palestinians in the West Bank, saying it "affected virtually all aspects of life, including access to places of worship, employment, agricultural lands, schools, and hospitals, as well as the conduct of journalistic, humanitarian, and NGO activities."
A section about torture discusses human rights organizations' accusations that interrogation methods used legally in Israel may amount to torture. Israel reportedly used interrogation techniques on minors that groups said were abusive.
Regarding Hamas, the report says human rights abuses under its rule included "security forces killing, torturing, arbitrarily detaining, and harassing opponents, including Fatah members, and other Palestinians with impunity", launching rockets at civilians from civilian areas, poor prison conditions and public executions without trial, limiting the freedoms of speech, press, assembly, association, religion, and movement, abuse of women and children, discrimination based on sexual orientation, and forced labor, including by children.
The document notes specific examples, such as reports that Hamas "unlawfully executed at least 55 persons in the Gaza Strip during Operation Protective Edge for allegedly collaborating with Israel". Reports of prisoner abuse and torture were widespread, with at least 442 claims being filed.
The report was presented by US Secretary of State John Kerry less than a week before the current deadline for an agreement with Iran over its nuclear program.
The report on the Islamic Republic says major problems include "severe restrictions on civil liberties, including the freedoms of assembly, speech, religion, and press; limitations on the citizens’ ability to change the government peacefully through free and fair elections; and disregard for the physical integrity of persons, whom authorities arbitrarily and unlawfully detained, tortured, or killed."
Iran claims it executed 268 people last year, but human rights organizations say the true number is 721. A litany of further purported abuses includes disappearances, deaths of detainees, incitement to anti-Semitism, and restricted freedom of speech and press, as well as many others.
More than 1,000 political prisoners and 30 journalists currently sit in Iranian prison. Authorities also randomly invade family's privacy in their homes. Iran also limits investigations by NGOs investigation human rights abuses.
The report further notes that 217,851 people were in Iranian prison last year. About a quarter of the Iranian population has been arrested at some point.
Claims of excessive force, killings, abuse, limitations on freedom and more discussed in State Department document; violations by Hamas, Iran also examined.
A new report by the US State Department published on Thursday criticizes Israeli actions in the West Bank and Gaza, citing alleged "excessive use of force against civilians, including killings; abuse of Palestinian detainees, particularly during arrest and interrogation."
The Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2014 cover dozens of countries around the world, including Israel and the "occupied territories" in addition to alleged major human rights violators like Russia, Iran, and China. Other claims about Israel's human rights violations in the West Bank and Gaza include "austere and overcrowded detention facilities; improper use of security detention procedures; demolition and confiscation of Palestinian property; limitations on freedom of expression, assembly, and association; and severe restrictions on Palestinians’ internal and external freedom of movement."
The report also noted violence by settlers against Palestinians was a persistent problem, as well as "inconsistent punishment of these acts by Israeli authorities." The report also addresses Israel's restriction on travel for Palestinians in the West Bank, saying it "affected virtually all aspects of life, including access to places of worship, employment, agricultural lands, schools, and hospitals, as well as the conduct of journalistic, humanitarian, and NGO activities."
A section about torture discusses human rights organizations' accusations that interrogation methods used legally in Israel may amount to torture. Israel reportedly used interrogation techniques on minors that groups said were abusive.
Regarding Hamas, the report says human rights abuses under its rule included "security forces killing, torturing, arbitrarily detaining, and harassing opponents, including Fatah members, and other Palestinians with impunity", launching rockets at civilians from civilian areas, poor prison conditions and public executions without trial, limiting the freedoms of speech, press, assembly, association, religion, and movement, abuse of women and children, discrimination based on sexual orientation, and forced labor, including by children.
The document notes specific examples, such as reports that Hamas "unlawfully executed at least 55 persons in the Gaza Strip during Operation Protective Edge for allegedly collaborating with Israel". Reports of prisoner abuse and torture were widespread, with at least 442 claims being filed.
The report was presented by US Secretary of State John Kerry less than a week before the current deadline for an agreement with Iran over its nuclear program.
The report on the Islamic Republic says major problems include "severe restrictions on civil liberties, including the freedoms of assembly, speech, religion, and press; limitations on the citizens’ ability to change the government peacefully through free and fair elections; and disregard for the physical integrity of persons, whom authorities arbitrarily and unlawfully detained, tortured, or killed."
Iran claims it executed 268 people last year, but human rights organizations say the true number is 721. A litany of further purported abuses includes disappearances, deaths of detainees, incitement to anti-Semitism, and restricted freedom of speech and press, as well as many others.
More than 1,000 political prisoners and 30 journalists currently sit in Iranian prison. Authorities also randomly invade family's privacy in their homes. Iran also limits investigations by NGOs investigation human rights abuses.
The report further notes that 217,851 people were in Iranian prison last year. About a quarter of the Iranian population has been arrested at some point.
The US opposition to the bid by the Palestinian Authority to bring Israel to the International Criminal Court for war crimes in Gaza is the result of pressure from the Israeli lobby, says an investigative journalist.
“AIPAC (The American Israel Public Affairs Committee) clearly has total control of the US Congress at least through Obama’s cabinet. Whether or not he is for or against it… he is going to be hamstrung to do anything about it,” Shane Matthews, a writer and investigative journalist, told Press TV on Friday.
He made the remarks in a phone interview with the news agency when asked about the Obama administrations opposition to the PA bid to prosecute Israel for war crimes.
PA Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki has submitted a dossier to the International Criminal Court (ICC), detailing Israeli war crimes in Gaza as well as its illegal settlement construction in the West Bank and East Jerusalem (al-Quds).
The United States has “made clear that we oppose actions against Israel at the ICC as counterproductive,” National Security Council spokesman Alistair Baskey said on Thursday.
Matthews said those comments reflect the White House’s position that “countries we agree with are allowed to prosecute for war crimes, but countries that we don’t, or that Israel does not like, they are not allowed.”
“It’s disingenuous and it’s also obviously a double standard in the way the ICC was basically going to be used,” he added.
“I think you have seen a lot of so-called international institutions that become ineffectual and have a double standard to the extent that they don’t prosecute war crimes if they are committed by either the US or Britain or European countries or Israel obviously,” Matthews said to Press TV.
Human rights monitor Amnesty International said in April that the Israeli regime committed war crimes during the latest war on the besieged Gaza Strip.
Over 2,140 Palestinians, including a large number of women, children, and the elderly, were killed in the 50 days of the Israeli onslaught on Gaza, which began early in July 2014.
“AIPAC (The American Israel Public Affairs Committee) clearly has total control of the US Congress at least through Obama’s cabinet. Whether or not he is for or against it… he is going to be hamstrung to do anything about it,” Shane Matthews, a writer and investigative journalist, told Press TV on Friday.
He made the remarks in a phone interview with the news agency when asked about the Obama administrations opposition to the PA bid to prosecute Israel for war crimes.
PA Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki has submitted a dossier to the International Criminal Court (ICC), detailing Israeli war crimes in Gaza as well as its illegal settlement construction in the West Bank and East Jerusalem (al-Quds).
The United States has “made clear that we oppose actions against Israel at the ICC as counterproductive,” National Security Council spokesman Alistair Baskey said on Thursday.
Matthews said those comments reflect the White House’s position that “countries we agree with are allowed to prosecute for war crimes, but countries that we don’t, or that Israel does not like, they are not allowed.”
“It’s disingenuous and it’s also obviously a double standard in the way the ICC was basically going to be used,” he added.
“I think you have seen a lot of so-called international institutions that become ineffectual and have a double standard to the extent that they don’t prosecute war crimes if they are committed by either the US or Britain or European countries or Israel obviously,” Matthews said to Press TV.
Human rights monitor Amnesty International said in April that the Israeli regime committed war crimes during the latest war on the besieged Gaza Strip.
Over 2,140 Palestinians, including a large number of women, children, and the elderly, were killed in the 50 days of the Israeli onslaught on Gaza, which began early in July 2014.
25 june 2015
Documents presented to chief prosecutor meant to convince ICC to investigate claims; Foreign Ministry: 'We hope attorney won't fall for this trap.'
The Palestinian Authority presented the International Criminal Court on Thursday with its first documents claiming Israeli crimes under international law in regards to settlement construction, Israel's policy in the Gaza Strip, and Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.
While the information presented by PA representatives does not constitute an official complaint against Israel, the Palestinians hope that the documents will convince ICC Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda to open an investigation against the Jewish nation.
Foreign Minister Spokesperson Emmanuel Nahshon responded to the step by the Palestinians saying, "This step is nothing more than provocation
and manipulation of the court in the Hague. We hope that the attorney won't fall for this trap."
The Palestinians said Wednesday evening that the documents would be limited to general information on Israel's control of the West Bank, from daily life to IDF raids. The current batch of documents does not include specific information, which the Palestinians are saving for possible future use, depending on the prosecutor's decision.
Mustafa Barghouti, the Palestinian official who presented Bensouda with the damning documents, said the Palestinian aim to achieve justice and to hold accountable those responsible for crimes. According to the Palestinians, the documents point specifically at crimes allegedly committed by Israeli leaders and public officials but they also said they still support a two state solution as the preferred option to ending the conflict.
The Palestinian ambassador in Holland said that the documents presented on Thursday represented just the beginning of a process that will take anywhere from 5-10 years. The ICC is expected to send a delegation to Israel as a result of the Palestinian claims on a fact-checking mission. Israel however, may prevent the team from entering the West Bank.
The Palestinian Authority presented the International Criminal Court on Thursday with its first documents claiming Israeli crimes under international law in regards to settlement construction, Israel's policy in the Gaza Strip, and Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.
While the information presented by PA representatives does not constitute an official complaint against Israel, the Palestinians hope that the documents will convince ICC Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda to open an investigation against the Jewish nation.
Foreign Minister Spokesperson Emmanuel Nahshon responded to the step by the Palestinians saying, "This step is nothing more than provocation
and manipulation of the court in the Hague. We hope that the attorney won't fall for this trap."
The Palestinians said Wednesday evening that the documents would be limited to general information on Israel's control of the West Bank, from daily life to IDF raids. The current batch of documents does not include specific information, which the Palestinians are saving for possible future use, depending on the prosecutor's decision.
Mustafa Barghouti, the Palestinian official who presented Bensouda with the damning documents, said the Palestinian aim to achieve justice and to hold accountable those responsible for crimes. According to the Palestinians, the documents point specifically at crimes allegedly committed by Israeli leaders and public officials but they also said they still support a two state solution as the preferred option to ending the conflict.
The Palestinian ambassador in Holland said that the documents presented on Thursday represented just the beginning of a process that will take anywhere from 5-10 years. The ICC is expected to send a delegation to Israel as a result of the Palestinian claims on a fact-checking mission. Israel however, may prevent the team from entering the West Bank.
The Israeli government removed, on Tuesday, Israeli human rights group B’Tselem from its service programme after contributing to the UN Gaza inquiry.
B’Tselem was one of ten human rights groups which wrote to the Israeli Attorney General last July to raise “concerns about grave Israeli violations of international humanitarian law” in the bombing and shelling of residential buildings in the Gaza Strip.
The decision by Israeli authorities to ban B’Tselem from the national service programme was made because the organisation was among the sources for the UN inquiry’s data regarding the offensive on Gaza.
Uri Ariel, minister responsible for the National Insurance Institute, which supervises the scheme, said Tuesday that he had given the warning that volunteering with groups seen as hostile to the Isralei state would no longer be recognised as national service.
“Is the state of Israel supposed to finance those who work against it… against its soldiers? There is a limit,” he told Israeli public radio.
“It is not just B’Tselem,” he added. “It is not just one organisation, there may be others and it applies to them as well.”
B’Tselem was one of ten human rights groups which wrote to the Israeli Attorney General last July to raise “concerns about grave Israeli violations of international humanitarian law” in the bombing and shelling of residential buildings in the Gaza Strip.
The decision by Israeli authorities to ban B’Tselem from the national service programme was made because the organisation was among the sources for the UN inquiry’s data regarding the offensive on Gaza.
Uri Ariel, minister responsible for the National Insurance Institute, which supervises the scheme, said Tuesday that he had given the warning that volunteering with groups seen as hostile to the Isralei state would no longer be recognised as national service.
“Is the state of Israel supposed to finance those who work against it… against its soldiers? There is a limit,” he told Israeli public radio.
“It is not just B’Tselem,” he added. “It is not just one organisation, there may be others and it applies to them as well.”
American judge Mary McGowan Davis, stated that the most important part of the UN Human Rights Council's recent report about crimes committed by the Israeli occupation in the last offensive against Gaza, is that Israel must not use military force.
According to Al Ray Palestinian Media Agency, the head of the UNHRC’s investigative committee said to Haaretz that the last Israeli offensive in Gaza caused unprecedented destruction in Gaza and cost the life of over 2,000 Palestinian civilians.
She shed light on the seriousness of throwing heavy bombs on residential neighborhoods.
The UNHCR nominated U.S. judge Mary McGowan Davis as head of the Council’s investigative committee to look into the war crimes committed during the 50-day Israel aggression against Gaza last summer.
The investigation panel found evidence of possible war crimes on part of both the Israeli occupation and Palestinian factions during this last aggression against Gaza.
According to Al Ray Palestinian Media Agency, the head of the UNHRC’s investigative committee said to Haaretz that the last Israeli offensive in Gaza caused unprecedented destruction in Gaza and cost the life of over 2,000 Palestinian civilians.
She shed light on the seriousness of throwing heavy bombs on residential neighborhoods.
The UNHCR nominated U.S. judge Mary McGowan Davis as head of the Council’s investigative committee to look into the war crimes committed during the 50-day Israel aggression against Gaza last summer.
The investigation panel found evidence of possible war crimes on part of both the Israeli occupation and Palestinian factions during this last aggression against Gaza.
The Palestinian Authority on Thursday delivered the first batch of evidence to the International Criminal Court in support of its campaign to have Israel investigated for alleged war crimes.
Documents handed to the ICC consist of two files, one regarding Israeli crimes committed in Gaza during last summer's war.
"The state of Palestine has pledged to cooperate with the court including by providing it with relevant information and it is fulfilling its pledge today," Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad al-Malki told journalists after leaving the court.
"The information provided by the state of Palestine make a compelling case for the prompt opening of an investigation," Malki added.
According to AFP, ICC chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda, in January, launched a preliminary probe to see whether there was enough evidence for a full-blown war crimes investigation into last year's conflict in the Gaza Strip between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas.
The documents handed over on Thursday consist of two files: one about alleged Israeli crimes committed in Gaza during the 50-day war in July and August last year that killed over 2,200 Palestinians, mostly civilians, and 73 Israelis, mostly soldiers.
The other file deals with Israel's occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem, including "information about the issue of Palestinian prisoners," the Palestinian mission in The Hague said.
"Achieving justice is essential for the Palestinian victims, dead and alive," said Malki. "Palestine has chosen to seek justice not vengeance, this is why we are here today."
The move is part of an increased focus on diplomatic maneuvering by the Palestinian leadership, who has grown frustrated with consecutive failures to end the nearly fifty-year Israeli occupation and creating their own independent state.
Bensouda warned in May that both sides could face war crimes charges in the case, which has been vehemently opposed by Israel. Israel is not a signatory of the statute that established the court. Palestine ratified the ICC's statutes in January.
The PA's submission of evidence comes three days after the UN Commission of Inquiry announced it had gathered "credible allegations" that both sides had committed war crimes during the conflict, which killed more than 2,140 Palestinians, most of them civilians, and 73 people on the Israeli side, mostly soldiers.
The report decried the "huge firepower" used in Gaza, with Israel launching more than 6,000 airstrikes and firing 50,000 artillery shells during the 51-day operation.
It also criticized the "indiscriminate" firing of thousands of rockets and mortar rounds at Israel, which it said appeared to be have been intended to "spread terror" among Israeli civilians.
Earlier this year, as the Palestinians were putting their accession to the ICC in motion, president Mahmoud Abbas sent documents to the court authorizing the prosecutor to investigate alleged crimes in the Palestinian territories since June 13, 2014.
Among the more controversial events of the Gaza war was Israel's bombing of UN schools being used as shelters for the displaced.
Israel said it was forced to carry out the strikes, claiming Hamas used them to store weapons or fire rockets at Israel.
The ICC, set up in 2002, is the world's only permanent independent body to try the most serious crimes of concern to the international community.
PLO to Submit ICC Documents Thursday
The PLO on Thursday will submit information to the International Criminal Court to assist with preliminary examinations into crimes committed by Israel in the occupied Palestinian territories since June 2014.
Mustafa Barghouthi, head of the Palestine National Initiative, told a press conference Wednesday that the reports will be submitted at 4 p.m.
The files, according to Ma'an News Agency, will focus on last summer's military offensive on the Gaza Strip, ongoing illegal settlement activity, and the issue of Palestinian prisoners jailed in Israel.
“Our aim is to establish war crimes in order that an investigation by the chief prosecutor’s office is carried out and to remove immunity from Israel and its leaders, achieve justice, apply human rights conventions, protect Palestinians and hold criminals accountable for their crimes,” he told reporters.
The PLO said Wednesday that the information presented to the court will include statistics on settlements, prisoners and last summer's war.
The reports were prepared by the Higher National Committee, which includes PLO Executive Committee Members, political parties, security forces, unions and the relevant ministries.
"The files to be presented to the court refer to war crimes and crimes committed by individuals of the Israeli leadership," the PLO said in a statement.
"It will focus primarily on providing the context within which a pattern of systematic interrelated crimes have been committed within and throughout the Palestinian state, including through the Israeli settlement regime, and the blockade and attacks against the Gaza Strip and civilian population."
On Monday, a UN Commission of Inquiry on the 2014 Gaza conflict announced it had gathered "credible allegations" that both sides had committed war crimes during the conflict, which killed more than 2,140 Palestinians, most of them civilians, and 73 people on the Israeli side, mostly soldiers.
The report decried the "huge firepower" used in Gaza, with Israel launching more than 6,000 airstrikes and firing 50,000 artillery shells during the 51-day operation.
It also criticized the "indiscriminate" firing of thousands of rockets and mortar rounds at Israel, which it said appeared to be have been intended to "spread terror" among Israeli civilians..
A senior official from the PLO said Monday that the report reinforces "our will to go to the International Criminal Court".
The PLO has been seeking to open criminal proceedings against Israel at the ICC as part of an increased focus on diplomatic maneuvering and appeals to international bodies.
Documents handed to the ICC consist of two files, one regarding Israeli crimes committed in Gaza during last summer's war.
"The state of Palestine has pledged to cooperate with the court including by providing it with relevant information and it is fulfilling its pledge today," Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad al-Malki told journalists after leaving the court.
"The information provided by the state of Palestine make a compelling case for the prompt opening of an investigation," Malki added.
According to AFP, ICC chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda, in January, launched a preliminary probe to see whether there was enough evidence for a full-blown war crimes investigation into last year's conflict in the Gaza Strip between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas.
The documents handed over on Thursday consist of two files: one about alleged Israeli crimes committed in Gaza during the 50-day war in July and August last year that killed over 2,200 Palestinians, mostly civilians, and 73 Israelis, mostly soldiers.
The other file deals with Israel's occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem, including "information about the issue of Palestinian prisoners," the Palestinian mission in The Hague said.
"Achieving justice is essential for the Palestinian victims, dead and alive," said Malki. "Palestine has chosen to seek justice not vengeance, this is why we are here today."
The move is part of an increased focus on diplomatic maneuvering by the Palestinian leadership, who has grown frustrated with consecutive failures to end the nearly fifty-year Israeli occupation and creating their own independent state.
Bensouda warned in May that both sides could face war crimes charges in the case, which has been vehemently opposed by Israel. Israel is not a signatory of the statute that established the court. Palestine ratified the ICC's statutes in January.
The PA's submission of evidence comes three days after the UN Commission of Inquiry announced it had gathered "credible allegations" that both sides had committed war crimes during the conflict, which killed more than 2,140 Palestinians, most of them civilians, and 73 people on the Israeli side, mostly soldiers.
The report decried the "huge firepower" used in Gaza, with Israel launching more than 6,000 airstrikes and firing 50,000 artillery shells during the 51-day operation.
It also criticized the "indiscriminate" firing of thousands of rockets and mortar rounds at Israel, which it said appeared to be have been intended to "spread terror" among Israeli civilians.
Earlier this year, as the Palestinians were putting their accession to the ICC in motion, president Mahmoud Abbas sent documents to the court authorizing the prosecutor to investigate alleged crimes in the Palestinian territories since June 13, 2014.
Among the more controversial events of the Gaza war was Israel's bombing of UN schools being used as shelters for the displaced.
Israel said it was forced to carry out the strikes, claiming Hamas used them to store weapons or fire rockets at Israel.
The ICC, set up in 2002, is the world's only permanent independent body to try the most serious crimes of concern to the international community.
PLO to Submit ICC Documents Thursday
The PLO on Thursday will submit information to the International Criminal Court to assist with preliminary examinations into crimes committed by Israel in the occupied Palestinian territories since June 2014.
Mustafa Barghouthi, head of the Palestine National Initiative, told a press conference Wednesday that the reports will be submitted at 4 p.m.
The files, according to Ma'an News Agency, will focus on last summer's military offensive on the Gaza Strip, ongoing illegal settlement activity, and the issue of Palestinian prisoners jailed in Israel.
“Our aim is to establish war crimes in order that an investigation by the chief prosecutor’s office is carried out and to remove immunity from Israel and its leaders, achieve justice, apply human rights conventions, protect Palestinians and hold criminals accountable for their crimes,” he told reporters.
The PLO said Wednesday that the information presented to the court will include statistics on settlements, prisoners and last summer's war.
The reports were prepared by the Higher National Committee, which includes PLO Executive Committee Members, political parties, security forces, unions and the relevant ministries.
"The files to be presented to the court refer to war crimes and crimes committed by individuals of the Israeli leadership," the PLO said in a statement.
"It will focus primarily on providing the context within which a pattern of systematic interrelated crimes have been committed within and throughout the Palestinian state, including through the Israeli settlement regime, and the blockade and attacks against the Gaza Strip and civilian population."
On Monday, a UN Commission of Inquiry on the 2014 Gaza conflict announced it had gathered "credible allegations" that both sides had committed war crimes during the conflict, which killed more than 2,140 Palestinians, most of them civilians, and 73 people on the Israeli side, mostly soldiers.
The report decried the "huge firepower" used in Gaza, with Israel launching more than 6,000 airstrikes and firing 50,000 artillery shells during the 51-day operation.
It also criticized the "indiscriminate" firing of thousands of rockets and mortar rounds at Israel, which it said appeared to be have been intended to "spread terror" among Israeli civilians..
A senior official from the PLO said Monday that the report reinforces "our will to go to the International Criminal Court".
The PLO has been seeking to open criminal proceedings against Israel at the ICC as part of an increased focus on diplomatic maneuvering and appeals to international bodies.
24 june 2015
Palestinian members of the Israeli Knesset said Tuesday that the UN report on last summer's war in the Gaza Strip provided enough evidence that Israel should be taken before the International Criminal Court.
The Joint List, which groups the main Palestinian parties in the Knesset, said in a statement that it welcomed any serious and independent investigation into the conflict and that Israel "should necessarily be sued over the war crimes" it committed.
While largely positive about the UN report, the Joint List criticized the commission for "equating the violations committed by Israel and those committed by Palestinian groups."
According to Ma'an News Agency, the Palestinian MKs said that the facts presented in the report showed a huge discrepancy between the two sides, with Gaza suffering disproportionately greater casualties and destruction than Israel.
The UN report released Monday said there were "credible allegations" that both sides had committed war crimes during the conflict, which killed more than 2,140 Palestinians, most of them civilians, and 73 people on the Israeli side, mostly soldiers.
The report decried the "huge firepower" used in Gaza, with Israel launching more than 6,000 airstrikes and firing 50,000 artillery shells during the 51-day operation.
Palestinian armed groups fired 4,881 rockets and 1,753 mortars towards Israel, killing six civilians and injuring at least 1,600 others.
The Palestinian leadership in the occupied territories has been seeking to open criminal proceedings against Israel at the ICC as part of an increased focus on diplomatic maneuvering and appeals to international bodies. Much of their focus has been on last summer's devastating war.
The Joint List on Sunday urged Israel to sign the Rome Statute that established the ICC, criticizing Israel for being "one of few states who refused to sign it."
Israel signed the Rome Statute in 2000, but two years later "unsigned" it along with the US, claiming that it had "no legal obligations” to the ICC.
The Joint List was formed earlier this year by four Palestinian parties -- United Arab List, Ta'al, Balad and Hadash. It was the first time parties representing Palestinian citizens in Israel had joined forces.
They won 13 seats in the Knesset in the March elections, becoming the third largest grouping in Israel's parliament.
As part of the opposition, they have vowed to fight for the rights of Israel's Palestinian minority which accounts for more than a fifth of the population, and to push for a resumption of peace talks with Palestinian leadership in the occupied West Bank and Gaza.
Tuesday's statement came a day after another Palestinian MK with the Joint List announced his plans to join a flotilla seeking to break the Israeli blockade on Gaza.
Basel Ghattas said in an open letter that the flotilla aimed to end Israel's blockade by focusing international attention on the 1.8 million Palestinians in Gaza living in "disgraceful, prison-like conditions" as part of a total siege which constitutes "collective punishment and is a brutal violation of international humanitarian law." His announcement has caused outrage among Israeli politicians, who have accused him of working against Israel.
The Joint List, which groups the main Palestinian parties in the Knesset, said in a statement that it welcomed any serious and independent investigation into the conflict and that Israel "should necessarily be sued over the war crimes" it committed.
While largely positive about the UN report, the Joint List criticized the commission for "equating the violations committed by Israel and those committed by Palestinian groups."
According to Ma'an News Agency, the Palestinian MKs said that the facts presented in the report showed a huge discrepancy between the two sides, with Gaza suffering disproportionately greater casualties and destruction than Israel.
The UN report released Monday said there were "credible allegations" that both sides had committed war crimes during the conflict, which killed more than 2,140 Palestinians, most of them civilians, and 73 people on the Israeli side, mostly soldiers.
The report decried the "huge firepower" used in Gaza, with Israel launching more than 6,000 airstrikes and firing 50,000 artillery shells during the 51-day operation.
Palestinian armed groups fired 4,881 rockets and 1,753 mortars towards Israel, killing six civilians and injuring at least 1,600 others.
The Palestinian leadership in the occupied territories has been seeking to open criminal proceedings against Israel at the ICC as part of an increased focus on diplomatic maneuvering and appeals to international bodies. Much of their focus has been on last summer's devastating war.
The Joint List on Sunday urged Israel to sign the Rome Statute that established the ICC, criticizing Israel for being "one of few states who refused to sign it."
Israel signed the Rome Statute in 2000, but two years later "unsigned" it along with the US, claiming that it had "no legal obligations” to the ICC.
The Joint List was formed earlier this year by four Palestinian parties -- United Arab List, Ta'al, Balad and Hadash. It was the first time parties representing Palestinian citizens in Israel had joined forces.
They won 13 seats in the Knesset in the March elections, becoming the third largest grouping in Israel's parliament.
As part of the opposition, they have vowed to fight for the rights of Israel's Palestinian minority which accounts for more than a fifth of the population, and to push for a resumption of peace talks with Palestinian leadership in the occupied West Bank and Gaza.
Tuesday's statement came a day after another Palestinian MK with the Joint List announced his plans to join a flotilla seeking to break the Israeli blockade on Gaza.
Basel Ghattas said in an open letter that the flotilla aimed to end Israel's blockade by focusing international attention on the 1.8 million Palestinians in Gaza living in "disgraceful, prison-like conditions" as part of a total siege which constitutes "collective punishment and is a brutal violation of international humanitarian law." His announcement has caused outrage among Israeli politicians, who have accused him of working against Israel.
