26 mar 2015
Rights group cites
deaths of six Israeli, 13 Palestinian civilians in 'indiscriminate'
rocket attacks, Hamas use of civilian buildings to store arms.
The human rights group Amnesty International said in a report Thursday that Palestinian militant organizations had committed war crimes during the 2014 Gaza-Israel conflict, by killing both Israeli and Palestinian civilians using indiscriminate projectiles.
The report comes after two other reports issued in late 2014 that accused Israel of war crimes for attacks on multistory civilian buildings and attacks on Palestinian residential homes during the war.
The 50-day Gaza war left more than 2,100 Palestinians dead, mostly civilians, according to Palestinian sources and UN officials. On the Israeli side, 66 soldiers and six civilians were killed.
Palestinian militants, including the armed wing of Hamas, launched unguided rockets and mortars which cannot be aimed at a specific target and are a breach of international law, the human rights group said.
Six civilians in Israel were killed in such attacks, and 13 Palestinian civilians were killed when a Palestinian projectile launched from the Gaza Strip apparently landed in a Gaza refugee camp.
Palestinians have claimed that the IDF was responsible for that attack, but Amnesty International said an independent munitions expert examining the evidence on the group's behalf concluded that a Palestinian rocket was responsible.
The report also alleged other international humanitarian law violations during the conflict, including Palestinian militant groups' storing munitions in civilian buildings and United Nations schools, and launching attacks near locations where hundreds of displaced civilians were taking shelter.
"The devastating impact of Israeli attacks on Palestinian civilians during the conflict is undeniable, but violations by one side in a conflict can never justify violations by their opponents," said Philip Luther of Amnesty International.
Luther called on both Israeli and Palestinian authorities to cooperate with UN and International Criminal Court probes "to end decades of impunity that have perpetuated a cycle of violations in which civilians on both sides have paid a heavy price."
Hamas officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Palestinian armed groups killed civilians on both sides in attacks amounting to war crimes
Palestinian armed groups displayed a flagrant disregard for the lives of civilians by repeatedly launching indiscriminate rockets and mortars towards civilian areas in Israel during the conflict in July and August 2014, said Amnesty International in a new report published today.
Unlawful and deadly: Rocket and mortar attacks by Palestinian armed groups during the 2014 Gaza/Israel conflict provides evidence that several attacks launched from inside the Gaza Strip amount to war crimes. Six civilians in Israel, including a four-year-old boy, were killed in such attacks during the 50-day conflict. In the deadliest incident believed to have been caused by a Palestinian attack, 11 children were among 13 Palestinian civilians killed when a projectile fired from within the Gaza Strip landed in the al-Shati refugee camp.
Palestinian armed groups, including the armed wing of Hamas, repeatedly launched unlawful attacks during the conflict killing and injuring civilians Philip Luther, Director of the Middle East and North Africa Programme at Amnesty International “Palestinian armed groups, including the armed wing of Hamas, repeatedly launched unlawful attacks during the conflict killing and injuring civilians. In launching these attacks, they displayed a flagrant disregard for international humanitarian law and for the consequences of their violations on civilians in both Israel and the Gaza Strip,” said Philip Luther, Director of the Middle East and North Africa Programme at Amnesty International.
All the rockets used by Palestinian armed groups are unguided projectiles which cannot be accurately aimed at specific targets and are inherently indiscriminate; using such weapons is prohibited under international law and their use constitutes a war crime. Mortars are also imprecise munitions and should never be used to attack military targets located in or near civilian areas.
“Palestinian armed groups must end all direct attacks on civilians and indiscriminate attacks. They must also take all feasible precautions to protect civilians in the Gaza Strip from the effects of such attacks. This includes taking all possible measures to avoid locating fighters and arms within or near densely populated areas,” said Philip Luther.
At least 1,585 Palestinian civilians, including more than 530 children, were killed in Gaza, and at least 16,245 homes were destroyed or rendered uninhabitable by Israeli attacks during the conflict, some of which also amounted to war crimes.
“The devastating impact of Israeli attacks on Palestinian civilians during the conflict is undeniable, but violations by one side in a conflict can never justify violations by their opponents,” said Philip Luther.
The devastating impact of Israeli attacks on Palestinian civilians during the conflict is undeniable, but violations by one side in a conflict can never justify violations by their opponents. Philip Luther “The fact that Palestinian armed groups appear to have carried out war crimes by firing indiscriminate rockets and mortars does not absolve the Israeli forces from their obligations under international humanitarian law. The war wrought an unprecedented level of death, destruction and injury on the 1.8 million people in the Gaza Strip, and some of the Israeli attacks must be investigated as war crimes.
“The Israeli and Palestinian authorities must both co-operate with the probes of the UN Commission of Inquiry and the International Criminal Court to end decades of impunity that have perpetuated a cycle of violations in which civilians on both sides have paid a heavy price.”
According to UN data, more than 4,800 rockets and 1,700 mortars were fired from Gaza towards Israel during the conflict. Out of the thousands of rockets and mortars fired, around 224 are estimated to have struck Israeli residential areas, as Israel’s Iron Dome missile defence system intercepted many others.
The death of Daniel Tregerman, a four-year-old boy, on 22 August 2014 clearly illustrates the tragic consequences of using imprecise weapons such as mortars on civilian areas. His family had fled their home in Kibbutz Nahal Oz because of the fighting but returned the day before he was killed. Moments after the alarm sirens went off, a mortar launched from Gaza struck the family car parked outside the house. Daniel’s little sister who was also present watched him die before her eyes.
“My husband and son were in the living room and I was yelling for them to come into the shelter. Shrapnel [from the mortar] entered Daniel’s head, killing him immediately,” his mother, Gila Tregerman, told Amnesty International.
Hamas’ military wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, claimed responsibility for the attack.
The briefing also highlights the Israeli authorities’ failure to adequately protect civilians in vulnerable communities during the conflict, particularly Bedouin villages in Israel’s Negev/Naqab region, many of which are not officially recognized by the Israeli government. Ouda Jumi’an al-Waj was killed by a rocket that struck the Bedouin village of Qasr al-Sir near the Israeli city of Dimona on 19 July.
Most Bedouin villages are classified as non-residential “open areas” by the Israeli authorities, so the Iron Dome system to intercept rockets does not operate there and there are no bomb shelters. More than 100,000 people live in Bedouin villages in southern Israel.
“Civilians living in Bedouin villages during the conflict were left vulnerable and exposed, one manifestation of the discrimination they face on a daily basis. The Israeli authorities must ensure everyone is given equal protection,” said Philip Luther.
Other civilians killed by attacks launched in Gaza included an agricultural worker from Thailand, Narakorn Kittiyangkul, who was killed when a mortar struck the tomato farm in southern Israel where he was working. Ze’ev Etzion and Shahar Melamed were killed in a mortar attack on Kibbutz Nirim on 26 August.
In the deadliest incident believed to have been caused by a Palestinian armed group during the conflict, 13 Palestinian civilians – 11 of them children – were killed when a projectile exploded next to a supermarket in the crowded al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza on 28 July 2014, the first day of Eid al-Fitr.
The children had been playing in the street and buying crisps and soft drinks in the supermarket at the time of the attack.
Although Palestinians have claimed that the Israeli military was responsible for the attack, an independent munitions expert who examined the available evidence on behalf of Amnesty International concluded that the projectile used in the attack was a Palestinian rocket.
Evidence suggesting that a rocket launched by a Palestinian armed group may have caused 13 civilian deaths inside Gaza underscores how indiscriminate these weapons can be and the dreadful consequences of using them Philip Luther “Evidence suggesting that a rocket launched by a Palestinian armed group may have caused 13 civilian deaths inside Gaza just underscores how indiscriminate these weapons can be and the dreadful consequences of using them,” said Philip Luther.
Mahmoud Abu Shaqfa and his five-year-old son Khaled were seriously wounded in the attack. His eight-year-old son Muhammad was killed. “The rocket fell near the car… The whole car was pierced by shrapnel. A piece of shrapnel pierced me… My son [Khaled] came to me. He was screaming ‘Daddy get up, get up…’ My entire leg was torn open and my arm had been wrenched to my back.”
There are no bomb shelters or warning systems in place to protect civilians in Gaza.
The report also details other violations of international humanitarian law by Palestinian armed groups during the conflict, such as storing rockets and other munitions in civilian buildings, including UN schools, and cases where Palestinian armed groups launched attacks or stored munitions very near locations where hundreds of displaced civilians were taking shelter.
“The international community must help prevent further violations by tackling entrenched impunity and by ending transfers to Palestinian armed groups and Israel of all arms and military equipment that could be used to commit serious violations of international humanitarian law,” said Philip Luther.
Amnesty International is calling on all states to support the UN Commission of Inquiry and the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court over crimes committed by all parties to the conflict.
Read the full report here
The human rights group Amnesty International said in a report Thursday that Palestinian militant organizations had committed war crimes during the 2014 Gaza-Israel conflict, by killing both Israeli and Palestinian civilians using indiscriminate projectiles.
The report comes after two other reports issued in late 2014 that accused Israel of war crimes for attacks on multistory civilian buildings and attacks on Palestinian residential homes during the war.
The 50-day Gaza war left more than 2,100 Palestinians dead, mostly civilians, according to Palestinian sources and UN officials. On the Israeli side, 66 soldiers and six civilians were killed.
Palestinian militants, including the armed wing of Hamas, launched unguided rockets and mortars which cannot be aimed at a specific target and are a breach of international law, the human rights group said.
Six civilians in Israel were killed in such attacks, and 13 Palestinian civilians were killed when a Palestinian projectile launched from the Gaza Strip apparently landed in a Gaza refugee camp.
Palestinians have claimed that the IDF was responsible for that attack, but Amnesty International said an independent munitions expert examining the evidence on the group's behalf concluded that a Palestinian rocket was responsible.
The report also alleged other international humanitarian law violations during the conflict, including Palestinian militant groups' storing munitions in civilian buildings and United Nations schools, and launching attacks near locations where hundreds of displaced civilians were taking shelter.
"The devastating impact of Israeli attacks on Palestinian civilians during the conflict is undeniable, but violations by one side in a conflict can never justify violations by their opponents," said Philip Luther of Amnesty International.
Luther called on both Israeli and Palestinian authorities to cooperate with UN and International Criminal Court probes "to end decades of impunity that have perpetuated a cycle of violations in which civilians on both sides have paid a heavy price."
Hamas officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Palestinian armed groups killed civilians on both sides in attacks amounting to war crimes
Palestinian armed groups displayed a flagrant disregard for the lives of civilians by repeatedly launching indiscriminate rockets and mortars towards civilian areas in Israel during the conflict in July and August 2014, said Amnesty International in a new report published today.
Unlawful and deadly: Rocket and mortar attacks by Palestinian armed groups during the 2014 Gaza/Israel conflict provides evidence that several attacks launched from inside the Gaza Strip amount to war crimes. Six civilians in Israel, including a four-year-old boy, were killed in such attacks during the 50-day conflict. In the deadliest incident believed to have been caused by a Palestinian attack, 11 children were among 13 Palestinian civilians killed when a projectile fired from within the Gaza Strip landed in the al-Shati refugee camp.
Palestinian armed groups, including the armed wing of Hamas, repeatedly launched unlawful attacks during the conflict killing and injuring civilians Philip Luther, Director of the Middle East and North Africa Programme at Amnesty International “Palestinian armed groups, including the armed wing of Hamas, repeatedly launched unlawful attacks during the conflict killing and injuring civilians. In launching these attacks, they displayed a flagrant disregard for international humanitarian law and for the consequences of their violations on civilians in both Israel and the Gaza Strip,” said Philip Luther, Director of the Middle East and North Africa Programme at Amnesty International.
All the rockets used by Palestinian armed groups are unguided projectiles which cannot be accurately aimed at specific targets and are inherently indiscriminate; using such weapons is prohibited under international law and their use constitutes a war crime. Mortars are also imprecise munitions and should never be used to attack military targets located in or near civilian areas.
“Palestinian armed groups must end all direct attacks on civilians and indiscriminate attacks. They must also take all feasible precautions to protect civilians in the Gaza Strip from the effects of such attacks. This includes taking all possible measures to avoid locating fighters and arms within or near densely populated areas,” said Philip Luther.
At least 1,585 Palestinian civilians, including more than 530 children, were killed in Gaza, and at least 16,245 homes were destroyed or rendered uninhabitable by Israeli attacks during the conflict, some of which also amounted to war crimes.
“The devastating impact of Israeli attacks on Palestinian civilians during the conflict is undeniable, but violations by one side in a conflict can never justify violations by their opponents,” said Philip Luther.
The devastating impact of Israeli attacks on Palestinian civilians during the conflict is undeniable, but violations by one side in a conflict can never justify violations by their opponents. Philip Luther “The fact that Palestinian armed groups appear to have carried out war crimes by firing indiscriminate rockets and mortars does not absolve the Israeli forces from their obligations under international humanitarian law. The war wrought an unprecedented level of death, destruction and injury on the 1.8 million people in the Gaza Strip, and some of the Israeli attacks must be investigated as war crimes.
“The Israeli and Palestinian authorities must both co-operate with the probes of the UN Commission of Inquiry and the International Criminal Court to end decades of impunity that have perpetuated a cycle of violations in which civilians on both sides have paid a heavy price.”
According to UN data, more than 4,800 rockets and 1,700 mortars were fired from Gaza towards Israel during the conflict. Out of the thousands of rockets and mortars fired, around 224 are estimated to have struck Israeli residential areas, as Israel’s Iron Dome missile defence system intercepted many others.
The death of Daniel Tregerman, a four-year-old boy, on 22 August 2014 clearly illustrates the tragic consequences of using imprecise weapons such as mortars on civilian areas. His family had fled their home in Kibbutz Nahal Oz because of the fighting but returned the day before he was killed. Moments after the alarm sirens went off, a mortar launched from Gaza struck the family car parked outside the house. Daniel’s little sister who was also present watched him die before her eyes.
“My husband and son were in the living room and I was yelling for them to come into the shelter. Shrapnel [from the mortar] entered Daniel’s head, killing him immediately,” his mother, Gila Tregerman, told Amnesty International.
Hamas’ military wing, the al-Qassam Brigades, claimed responsibility for the attack.
The briefing also highlights the Israeli authorities’ failure to adequately protect civilians in vulnerable communities during the conflict, particularly Bedouin villages in Israel’s Negev/Naqab region, many of which are not officially recognized by the Israeli government. Ouda Jumi’an al-Waj was killed by a rocket that struck the Bedouin village of Qasr al-Sir near the Israeli city of Dimona on 19 July.
Most Bedouin villages are classified as non-residential “open areas” by the Israeli authorities, so the Iron Dome system to intercept rockets does not operate there and there are no bomb shelters. More than 100,000 people live in Bedouin villages in southern Israel.
“Civilians living in Bedouin villages during the conflict were left vulnerable and exposed, one manifestation of the discrimination they face on a daily basis. The Israeli authorities must ensure everyone is given equal protection,” said Philip Luther.
Other civilians killed by attacks launched in Gaza included an agricultural worker from Thailand, Narakorn Kittiyangkul, who was killed when a mortar struck the tomato farm in southern Israel where he was working. Ze’ev Etzion and Shahar Melamed were killed in a mortar attack on Kibbutz Nirim on 26 August.
In the deadliest incident believed to have been caused by a Palestinian armed group during the conflict, 13 Palestinian civilians – 11 of them children – were killed when a projectile exploded next to a supermarket in the crowded al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza on 28 July 2014, the first day of Eid al-Fitr.
The children had been playing in the street and buying crisps and soft drinks in the supermarket at the time of the attack.
Although Palestinians have claimed that the Israeli military was responsible for the attack, an independent munitions expert who examined the available evidence on behalf of Amnesty International concluded that the projectile used in the attack was a Palestinian rocket.
Evidence suggesting that a rocket launched by a Palestinian armed group may have caused 13 civilian deaths inside Gaza underscores how indiscriminate these weapons can be and the dreadful consequences of using them Philip Luther “Evidence suggesting that a rocket launched by a Palestinian armed group may have caused 13 civilian deaths inside Gaza just underscores how indiscriminate these weapons can be and the dreadful consequences of using them,” said Philip Luther.
Mahmoud Abu Shaqfa and his five-year-old son Khaled were seriously wounded in the attack. His eight-year-old son Muhammad was killed. “The rocket fell near the car… The whole car was pierced by shrapnel. A piece of shrapnel pierced me… My son [Khaled] came to me. He was screaming ‘Daddy get up, get up…’ My entire leg was torn open and my arm had been wrenched to my back.”
There are no bomb shelters or warning systems in place to protect civilians in Gaza.
The report also details other violations of international humanitarian law by Palestinian armed groups during the conflict, such as storing rockets and other munitions in civilian buildings, including UN schools, and cases where Palestinian armed groups launched attacks or stored munitions very near locations where hundreds of displaced civilians were taking shelter.
“The international community must help prevent further violations by tackling entrenched impunity and by ending transfers to Palestinian armed groups and Israel of all arms and military equipment that could be used to commit serious violations of international humanitarian law,” said Philip Luther.
Amnesty International is calling on all states to support the UN Commission of Inquiry and the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court over crimes committed by all parties to the conflict.
Read the full report here
24 mar 2015
UNHCR: Israel committed war crimes in Gaza
Israel's representative was conspicuously missing when the UN Human Rights Council started a special session, on Monday, regarding the situation in the Palestinian territories and the 2014 summer assault, by Israel, on the region.
"I note the representative of Israel is not present," said council president Joachim Ruecher.
Israel provided no immediate explanation for their absence at the session dedicated overwhelmingly to discussion of its policies and alleged abuses, but a source close to the council said it clearly amounted to a boycott.
"We won't comment on that," a spokeswoman with the Israeli mission in Geneva told AFP.
The United States was also absent from Monday's discussions.
Asked to explain why the United States was not taking part, a spokesman said only that the US ambassador to the council Keith Harper was in Washington.
Monday's session had originally been scheduled to discuss a probe on the 50-day war in Gaza last year, but the investigators obtained a delay after the head of the team quit under Israeli pressure.
"The process cannot be rushed," former New York judge Mary McGowan Davis, who has taken over as head of the team, told the council.
Canadian international law expert William Schabas resigned as chair of the Commission of Inquiry on the 2014 Gaza conflict last month after Israel complained he could not be impartial because he had prepared a legal opinion for the PLO in October 2012.
Schabas strongly denied that he was beholden to the PLO but said he was reluctantly stepping down to avoid the inquiry into the July-August conflict -- commissioned by the UN Human Rights Council -- being compromised in any away.
-- --
A report by a special UN investigator said that Israel "deliberately" targeted civilian homes during last summer's attack on Gaza. The report, presented Monday to the UNHCR in Geneva by special rapporteur Makarim Wibisono of Indonesia, will form part of the basis for a UNHRC debate Monday on alleged Israeli violations of human rights.
The Council was also scheule to be briefed on the findings of a UN-appointed Commission of Inquiry into the Gaza war, headed by former New York Supreme Court judge Mary McGowan Davis. The commission had been due to present its final report at the session, but following the resignation of its previous head, Canadian law professor William Schabas, it asked for a delay until June, i24 said.
In his first report to the UNHRC, Wibisono wrote that "most victims were families killed in missile strikes on their own homes, usually at night...
"In the non-exhaustive list of cases brought to the attention of the Special Rapporteur, almost all of the families lost one or more infants or children." The content of his report was reported Monday by The Jerusalem Post.
Israel estimates that some 2,100 Palestinians were killed during the Gaza war, of which about half were Hamas or Islamic Jihad fighters.
The UN's casualty count, Wibisono said, listed 2,256 Palestinian fatalities, of which 1,563 were civilians, including 538 children. "On principle," he said, "ten children died every day over a period of 50 days" during the conflict.
VIDEO: Gaza City's Devastated Al-Shuja'eyya Suburb
This casualty count is more than the two previous offensives against Gaza, he wrote, adding that it is disproportionately higher than the 66 Israeli soldiers and five civilians who died during the war.
The "stark disparity in casualty figures on the two sides, he said, reflects the skewered balance of power and disproportionate cost borne by Palestinian civilians.
Wibisono noted that Israel had explained that it was responding to indiscriminate rocket fire by Palestinian armed groups from homes and hospitals when it attacked civilian areas. However, personal testimony, satellite imagery and the high civilian death count raised questions as to whether Israel adhered to the "international principles of distinction, proportionality and precautions."
Israel and the U.S, however, have withdrawn from the UNHRC two years ago, as a response to criticism of colonial activities in the occupied Palestinian territories, in addition to the U.S. halt of financial support to the counsel because of these condemnations.
See also: 01/22/15 Report: Summer Assault on Gaza Caused More Civilian Deaths
03/16/15 United Nations: 100,000 Gazans Still Homeless Since Summer Attack
-- --
Gaza in 'stranglehold'
Israel was not satisfied with the UN inquiry, calling for it to be shelved in its entirety, insisting the commission and the Human Rights Council which created it are inherently biased against it.
AFP further reports that Israel is the only country in the world with a special agenda item dedicated to it, meaning its rights record is discussed at every session of the UN's top rights body.
Its absence Monday does not mark the first time it has boycotted the council.
It cut all ties with the council in March 2012 over its plans to probe how settlements were harming Palestinian rights, and did not resume relations until late 2013.
Monday's session came after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party scored an unexpected election victory last week.
The US absence Monday sparked speculation over whether it aimed to avoid having to stick up for Israel, as it usually does, amid cooling relations between the two allies.
Washington warned, last week, that it could withdraw its unwavering support for Israel at the UN over Netanyahu's tough stance on the Palestinians.
A number of states meanwhile saw the absence of the United States and most western nations from Monday's debate in a different light.
This is "a deliberate attempt to undermine the credibility of the Human Rights Council," said Pakistan's representative, speaking on behalf of the Organization of the Islamic Conference.
Although the report on the 2014 Gaza war investigation was delayed until June, the UN's new Special Rapporteur on the situation in the Palestinian territories did not hold back.
"The ferocity of destruction and high proportion of civilian lives lost in Gaza cast serious doubts over Israel's adherence to international humanitarian law principles of proportionality, distinction and precautions in attack," Makarim Wibisono told the council.
He lamented "acute" needs in Gaza, warning that Israel's continued "blockade keeps Gaza in a stranglehold which does not even allow people to help themselves."
03/22/15 Obama Administration on Israeli Election: "Enough With the UN Cover Up"
Israel's representative was conspicuously missing when the UN Human Rights Council started a special session, on Monday, regarding the situation in the Palestinian territories and the 2014 summer assault, by Israel, on the region.
"I note the representative of Israel is not present," said council president Joachim Ruecher.
Israel provided no immediate explanation for their absence at the session dedicated overwhelmingly to discussion of its policies and alleged abuses, but a source close to the council said it clearly amounted to a boycott.
"We won't comment on that," a spokeswoman with the Israeli mission in Geneva told AFP.
The United States was also absent from Monday's discussions.
Asked to explain why the United States was not taking part, a spokesman said only that the US ambassador to the council Keith Harper was in Washington.
Monday's session had originally been scheduled to discuss a probe on the 50-day war in Gaza last year, but the investigators obtained a delay after the head of the team quit under Israeli pressure.
"The process cannot be rushed," former New York judge Mary McGowan Davis, who has taken over as head of the team, told the council.
Canadian international law expert William Schabas resigned as chair of the Commission of Inquiry on the 2014 Gaza conflict last month after Israel complained he could not be impartial because he had prepared a legal opinion for the PLO in October 2012.
Schabas strongly denied that he was beholden to the PLO but said he was reluctantly stepping down to avoid the inquiry into the July-August conflict -- commissioned by the UN Human Rights Council -- being compromised in any away.
-- --
A report by a special UN investigator said that Israel "deliberately" targeted civilian homes during last summer's attack on Gaza. The report, presented Monday to the UNHCR in Geneva by special rapporteur Makarim Wibisono of Indonesia, will form part of the basis for a UNHRC debate Monday on alleged Israeli violations of human rights.
The Council was also scheule to be briefed on the findings of a UN-appointed Commission of Inquiry into the Gaza war, headed by former New York Supreme Court judge Mary McGowan Davis. The commission had been due to present its final report at the session, but following the resignation of its previous head, Canadian law professor William Schabas, it asked for a delay until June, i24 said.
In his first report to the UNHRC, Wibisono wrote that "most victims were families killed in missile strikes on their own homes, usually at night...
"In the non-exhaustive list of cases brought to the attention of the Special Rapporteur, almost all of the families lost one or more infants or children." The content of his report was reported Monday by The Jerusalem Post.
Israel estimates that some 2,100 Palestinians were killed during the Gaza war, of which about half were Hamas or Islamic Jihad fighters.
The UN's casualty count, Wibisono said, listed 2,256 Palestinian fatalities, of which 1,563 were civilians, including 538 children. "On principle," he said, "ten children died every day over a period of 50 days" during the conflict.
VIDEO: Gaza City's Devastated Al-Shuja'eyya Suburb
This casualty count is more than the two previous offensives against Gaza, he wrote, adding that it is disproportionately higher than the 66 Israeli soldiers and five civilians who died during the war.
The "stark disparity in casualty figures on the two sides, he said, reflects the skewered balance of power and disproportionate cost borne by Palestinian civilians.
Wibisono noted that Israel had explained that it was responding to indiscriminate rocket fire by Palestinian armed groups from homes and hospitals when it attacked civilian areas. However, personal testimony, satellite imagery and the high civilian death count raised questions as to whether Israel adhered to the "international principles of distinction, proportionality and precautions."
Israel and the U.S, however, have withdrawn from the UNHRC two years ago, as a response to criticism of colonial activities in the occupied Palestinian territories, in addition to the U.S. halt of financial support to the counsel because of these condemnations.
See also: 01/22/15 Report: Summer Assault on Gaza Caused More Civilian Deaths
03/16/15 United Nations: 100,000 Gazans Still Homeless Since Summer Attack
-- --
Gaza in 'stranglehold'
Israel was not satisfied with the UN inquiry, calling for it to be shelved in its entirety, insisting the commission and the Human Rights Council which created it are inherently biased against it.
AFP further reports that Israel is the only country in the world with a special agenda item dedicated to it, meaning its rights record is discussed at every session of the UN's top rights body.
Its absence Monday does not mark the first time it has boycotted the council.
It cut all ties with the council in March 2012 over its plans to probe how settlements were harming Palestinian rights, and did not resume relations until late 2013.
Monday's session came after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party scored an unexpected election victory last week.
The US absence Monday sparked speculation over whether it aimed to avoid having to stick up for Israel, as it usually does, amid cooling relations between the two allies.
Washington warned, last week, that it could withdraw its unwavering support for Israel at the UN over Netanyahu's tough stance on the Palestinians.
A number of states meanwhile saw the absence of the United States and most western nations from Monday's debate in a different light.
This is "a deliberate attempt to undermine the credibility of the Human Rights Council," said Pakistan's representative, speaking on behalf of the Organization of the Islamic Conference.
Although the report on the 2014 Gaza war investigation was delayed until June, the UN's new Special Rapporteur on the situation in the Palestinian territories did not hold back.
"The ferocity of destruction and high proportion of civilian lives lost in Gaza cast serious doubts over Israel's adherence to international humanitarian law principles of proportionality, distinction and precautions in attack," Makarim Wibisono told the council.
He lamented "acute" needs in Gaza, warning that Israel's continued "blockade keeps Gaza in a stranglehold which does not even allow people to help themselves."
03/22/15 Obama Administration on Israeli Election: "Enough With the UN Cover Up"
23 mar 2015
Today, in a statement [PDF] delivered to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Defence for Children International Palestine (DCIP) called on UN member states to challenge systemic impunity for violations of Palestinian children’s rights by Israeli forces. A DCIP representative presented an oral statement at the Human Rights Council’s twenty-eighth regular session during an interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Mr. Makarim Wibisono.
Calling for justice and accountability, the statement noted that “repeated Israeli military offensives and prolonged military occupation combined with Israel’s complete disregard for international law has hindered any meaningful efforts toward implementing comprehensive protections for Palestinian children.”
Drawing attention to Israeli attacks on Gaza in July and August 2014, which killed over 500 Palestinian children, DCIP highlighted that it “was the sixth Israeli military offensive in the past eight years, and Palestinian children have come of age witnessing death and have been suffocated by a life under siege.”
In a context where systemic impunity is the status quo, DCIP and partners urged all members of the Human Rights Council to demand that Israel end its prolonged military occupation of Palestinians living in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, as well as its eight-year siege on the Gaza Strip, a form of collective punishment prohibited under international law.
Recognizing that “justice and accountability is persistently denied to Palestinian children,” DCIP called on states to urge the Secretary-General to list Israel’s armed forces in his annual report on children and armed conflict for committing grave violations against children during armed conflict, specifically killing and maiming and attacks on schools.
Partners joining the statement included several other Palestinian human rights organizations, specifically Al-Haq, Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights, and Adalah: The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel.
The UN Human Rights Council is responsible for the promotion and protection of all human rights and is made up of 47 UN member states. The Council meets three times per year and regularly addresses the situation of Palestinian children living in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
The statement followed the presentation of Mr. Wibisono’s annual report to the Council, which focused on grave violations of Palestinian children’s rights due to prolonged Israeli military occupation and repeated military offensives. His report includes incidents involving the killing and maiming of Palestinian children by Israeli forces, and widespread and systematic ill-treatment and torture of Palestinian child detainees in the Israeli military detention system.
In July 2014, the Council passed a resolution establishing the Independent Commission of Inquiry on the 2014 Gaza Conflict to investigate alleged violations of international law during Israel’s July-August military offensive.
Read the full statement: http://bit.ly/1xrFdti
Related links: Israeli exceptionalism at the United Nations
Calling for justice and accountability, the statement noted that “repeated Israeli military offensives and prolonged military occupation combined with Israel’s complete disregard for international law has hindered any meaningful efforts toward implementing comprehensive protections for Palestinian children.”
Drawing attention to Israeli attacks on Gaza in July and August 2014, which killed over 500 Palestinian children, DCIP highlighted that it “was the sixth Israeli military offensive in the past eight years, and Palestinian children have come of age witnessing death and have been suffocated by a life under siege.”
In a context where systemic impunity is the status quo, DCIP and partners urged all members of the Human Rights Council to demand that Israel end its prolonged military occupation of Palestinians living in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, as well as its eight-year siege on the Gaza Strip, a form of collective punishment prohibited under international law.
Recognizing that “justice and accountability is persistently denied to Palestinian children,” DCIP called on states to urge the Secretary-General to list Israel’s armed forces in his annual report on children and armed conflict for committing grave violations against children during armed conflict, specifically killing and maiming and attacks on schools.
Partners joining the statement included several other Palestinian human rights organizations, specifically Al-Haq, Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights, and Adalah: The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel.
The UN Human Rights Council is responsible for the promotion and protection of all human rights and is made up of 47 UN member states. The Council meets three times per year and regularly addresses the situation of Palestinian children living in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
The statement followed the presentation of Mr. Wibisono’s annual report to the Council, which focused on grave violations of Palestinian children’s rights due to prolonged Israeli military occupation and repeated military offensives. His report includes incidents involving the killing and maiming of Palestinian children by Israeli forces, and widespread and systematic ill-treatment and torture of Palestinian child detainees in the Israeli military detention system.
In July 2014, the Council passed a resolution establishing the Independent Commission of Inquiry on the 2014 Gaza Conflict to investigate alleged violations of international law during Israel’s July-August military offensive.
Read the full statement: http://bit.ly/1xrFdti
Related links: Israeli exceptionalism at the United Nations
In first step of Obama administration's 'reassessment' of relations with Jerusalem, American delegation will not take floor at debate on human rights violations in Palestinian territories.
The United States will not take the floor at the main UN human rights forum on Monday during the annual debate on violations committed in the Palestinian territories, a US spokesman told Reuters.
The step, which is unprecedented at the 47-member state forum where Washington unfailingly defends Israel, follows signals that the Obama administration is undertaking a "reassessment" of relations with the Jewish state.
"The US delegation will not be speaking about Palestine today," a US spokesman in Geneva told Reuters in response to a query as the debate began. He declined further comment.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's allies acknowledged on Sunday that his election-eve disavowal of a Palestinian state had caused a rift with the White House, but blamed US President Barack Obama's unprecedented criticism on a misunderstanding.
The United States will not take the floor at the main UN human rights forum on Monday during the annual debate on violations committed in the Palestinian territories, a US spokesman told Reuters.
The step, which is unprecedented at the 47-member state forum where Washington unfailingly defends Israel, follows signals that the Obama administration is undertaking a "reassessment" of relations with the Jewish state.
"The US delegation will not be speaking about Palestine today," a US spokesman in Geneva told Reuters in response to a query as the debate began. He declined further comment.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's allies acknowledged on Sunday that his election-eve disavowal of a Palestinian state had caused a rift with the White House, but blamed US President Barack Obama's unprecedented criticism on a misunderstanding.
20 mar 2015
Judge Advocate General Danny Efroni opens criminal investigation into 6 incidents that occurred during summer war, with IDF attack on UNRA school in Jabalia that killed 20 Palestinians among them.
The Judge Advocate General's Office, headed by General Danny Efroni, said Thursday that is has decided to open a criminal investigation into six unusual events that took place during Operation Protective Edge - the most prominent is an IDF attack on an UNRA school in the Gazan city of Jabalia which led to the death of 20 Palestinians.
The six events were part of 65 events that were referred to the Judge Advocate General's Office for review.
The IDF relayed in a message that, "Findings were presented before the JAG and set reasonable grounds to suspect that the attack was not in accordance with the principles that apply to the IDF and therefore the JAG decided to initiate a police investigation into the case."
In addition, the IDF also announced it would open a criminal investigation into three incidents where Gazan detainees were reportedly beaten and two incidents of looting.
The message released by the IDF mentioned two events that occurred on July 23, in which residents of Khuza'a claimed that while they were blind-folded and hand-cuffed they were beaten by IDF soldiers for no reason.
Another investigation was opened after an appeal by two residents of Rafah who also claimed they were beaten while hand-cuffed and blind-folded.
The JAG also ordered a criminal investigation into reported looting in Deir al-Balah and Khan Yunis.
A resident of Deir al-Balah said that IDF soldiers stole property from his home after he fled the home with his family. A man in Khan Yunis reported a similar incident.
The military's Criminal Investigations Division (CID) had begun to probe numerous IDF officers in December suspected of criminal offenses that led to the deaths of scores of non-combatant Palestinians during Operation Protective Edge.
At the time, General Efroni decided to expand investigations into IDF officers regarding a series of incidents in which 50 Palestinians were killed.
A source familiar with the investigation told Ynet in December that military police collected different pieces of evidence that bolster suspicions against the officers.
The most potentially controversial issue that reached Efroni's desk regarded the events of August 1 in Rafah, which included the aggressive pursuit by Givati soldiers of Hamas member who took captive IDF soldier Lt. Hadar Goldin. Scores of Palestinians were killed that day and hundreds wounded. Investigators assigned a special team to the case.
Efroni was tasked with deciding whether to open an investigation into Givati leaders, including Col. Ofer Winter, Lt. Col. Eli Gino, and company commanders.
The Judge Advocate General's Office, headed by General Danny Efroni, said Thursday that is has decided to open a criminal investigation into six unusual events that took place during Operation Protective Edge - the most prominent is an IDF attack on an UNRA school in the Gazan city of Jabalia which led to the death of 20 Palestinians.
The six events were part of 65 events that were referred to the Judge Advocate General's Office for review.
The IDF relayed in a message that, "Findings were presented before the JAG and set reasonable grounds to suspect that the attack was not in accordance with the principles that apply to the IDF and therefore the JAG decided to initiate a police investigation into the case."
In addition, the IDF also announced it would open a criminal investigation into three incidents where Gazan detainees were reportedly beaten and two incidents of looting.
The message released by the IDF mentioned two events that occurred on July 23, in which residents of Khuza'a claimed that while they were blind-folded and hand-cuffed they were beaten by IDF soldiers for no reason.
Another investigation was opened after an appeal by two residents of Rafah who also claimed they were beaten while hand-cuffed and blind-folded.
The JAG also ordered a criminal investigation into reported looting in Deir al-Balah and Khan Yunis.
A resident of Deir al-Balah said that IDF soldiers stole property from his home after he fled the home with his family. A man in Khan Yunis reported a similar incident.
The military's Criminal Investigations Division (CID) had begun to probe numerous IDF officers in December suspected of criminal offenses that led to the deaths of scores of non-combatant Palestinians during Operation Protective Edge.
At the time, General Efroni decided to expand investigations into IDF officers regarding a series of incidents in which 50 Palestinians were killed.
A source familiar with the investigation told Ynet in December that military police collected different pieces of evidence that bolster suspicions against the officers.
The most potentially controversial issue that reached Efroni's desk regarded the events of August 1 in Rafah, which included the aggressive pursuit by Givati soldiers of Hamas member who took captive IDF soldier Lt. Hadar Goldin. Scores of Palestinians were killed that day and hundreds wounded. Investigators assigned a special team to the case.
Efroni was tasked with deciding whether to open an investigation into Givati leaders, including Col. Ofer Winter, Lt. Col. Eli Gino, and company commanders.
19 mar 2015
The Israeli occupation authorities (IOA) on Wednesday blocked the access of four European parliamentarians into the Gaza Strip via the Beit Hanoun (Erez) border crossing.
The French MP Edward Martin said in press statements the IOA banned the European delegation from entering Gaza without justifying the grounds for the ban.
He said Israel considered the MEPs as “enemies” despite the fact that the projected visit was scheduled a long time ago in coordination with the IOA.
The European delegation updated the Chairman of the European Parliament Martin Schulz and the French leadership on the ban, the MP added, wondering: “What is Israel trying to hide?”
The European MPs were expected to enter Gaza to assess the aftermaths of the latest Israeli offensive on the blockaded Gaza Strip.
The French MP Edward Martin said in press statements the IOA banned the European delegation from entering Gaza without justifying the grounds for the ban.
He said Israel considered the MEPs as “enemies” despite the fact that the projected visit was scheduled a long time ago in coordination with the IOA.
The European delegation updated the Chairman of the European Parliament Martin Schulz and the French leadership on the ban, the MP added, wondering: “What is Israel trying to hide?”
The European MPs were expected to enter Gaza to assess the aftermaths of the latest Israeli offensive on the blockaded Gaza Strip.
