23 apr 2009
Tendrils of white phosphorus fall over Gaza
Human rights watchdogs accused the Israeli military on Thursday of using its internal investigations to whitewash allegations that it committed war crimes during its recent offensive on the Gaza Strip.
"The investigative results make clear that the Israeli military will not objectively monitor itself," said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch, one of the organizations that responded to the results of an internal military investigation released on Wednesday.
"The conclusions are an apparent attempt to mask violations of the laws of war by Israeli forces in Gaza. Only an impartial inquiry will provide a measure of redress for the civilians who were killed unlawfully," said Stork in a statement.
Human Rights Watch, along with Israeli and Palestinian human rights organizations are calling for Israel to comply with the UN-backed investigation headed by Justice Richard Goldstone. Israel has said it will refuse to comply with the international probe.
The military concluded five separate investigations on Wednesday with the observation that "throughout the fighting in Gaza, the IDF operated in accordance with international law." Incidents in which innocent Palestinians were killed were labeled "operational mishaps."
"Data collected by Israeli human rights organization shows that many civilians were killed in Gaza not due to 'mishaps' but as a direct result of the Military's chosen policy implemented throughout the fighting," wrote nine human rights organizations in a unanimous rejection of the military's conclusions.
The Israeli groups (B'Tselem, Physicians for Human Rights, Gisha, Adalah, Association for Civil Rights in Israel, Yesh Din, Hamoked, Public Committee Against Torture, Bimkom, and Rabbis for Human Rights) also noted that if the military believes it did no wrong, it should not object to Goldstone's independent investigation.
Human Rights Watch also cited its own investigation into the war in Gaza, which concluded that "Israeli forces were responsible for serious violations of the laws of war, including the use of heavy artillery and white phosphorus munitions in densely populated areas, the apparent targeting of people trying to convey their civilian status, and the destruction of civilian objects in excess of military need."
"Some of the cases of white-phosphorus use demonstrate evidence of war crimes," the New York-based organization said last month in a 71-page report.
According to Palestinian Health Ministry figures, more than 1,450 Palestinians, including hundreds of children, were killed during the three-week attack on Gaza in December and January. Ten Israeli soldiers were killed in fighting, and three Israeli civilians were killed by projectiles fired from the Gaza Strip.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=210064
Human rights watchdogs accused the Israeli military on Thursday of using its internal investigations to whitewash allegations that it committed war crimes during its recent offensive on the Gaza Strip.
"The investigative results make clear that the Israeli military will not objectively monitor itself," said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East and North Africa director at Human Rights Watch, one of the organizations that responded to the results of an internal military investigation released on Wednesday.
"The conclusions are an apparent attempt to mask violations of the laws of war by Israeli forces in Gaza. Only an impartial inquiry will provide a measure of redress for the civilians who were killed unlawfully," said Stork in a statement.
Human Rights Watch, along with Israeli and Palestinian human rights organizations are calling for Israel to comply with the UN-backed investigation headed by Justice Richard Goldstone. Israel has said it will refuse to comply with the international probe.
The military concluded five separate investigations on Wednesday with the observation that "throughout the fighting in Gaza, the IDF operated in accordance with international law." Incidents in which innocent Palestinians were killed were labeled "operational mishaps."
"Data collected by Israeli human rights organization shows that many civilians were killed in Gaza not due to 'mishaps' but as a direct result of the Military's chosen policy implemented throughout the fighting," wrote nine human rights organizations in a unanimous rejection of the military's conclusions.
The Israeli groups (B'Tselem, Physicians for Human Rights, Gisha, Adalah, Association for Civil Rights in Israel, Yesh Din, Hamoked, Public Committee Against Torture, Bimkom, and Rabbis for Human Rights) also noted that if the military believes it did no wrong, it should not object to Goldstone's independent investigation.
Human Rights Watch also cited its own investigation into the war in Gaza, which concluded that "Israeli forces were responsible for serious violations of the laws of war, including the use of heavy artillery and white phosphorus munitions in densely populated areas, the apparent targeting of people trying to convey their civilian status, and the destruction of civilian objects in excess of military need."
"Some of the cases of white-phosphorus use demonstrate evidence of war crimes," the New York-based organization said last month in a 71-page report.
According to Palestinian Health Ministry figures, more than 1,450 Palestinians, including hundreds of children, were killed during the three-week attack on Gaza in December and January. Ten Israeli soldiers were killed in fighting, and three Israeli civilians were killed by projectiles fired from the Gaza Strip.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=210064
22 apr 2009
Israel: 'Malfunction' caused Gaza massacre
The Israeli military said internal investigations showed it acted according to law during the three-week offensive against the Gaza Strip, but that 'malfunctions' resulted in the deaths of innocents.
On Tuesday the military said it concluded five separate investigations into the shelling of UN installations, the targeting of medical personnel and facilities, the killing of civilians, the use of the incendiary weapon white phosphorus, and the destruction of buildings by ground forces.
The military's report prominently addressed one of the most horrific single moments of the Gaza war: the killing of 21 civilian members of the Ad-Daya family, including women and young children, in the Zaytoun neighborhood of Gaza City.
According to witness accounts and reports by human rights organizations, Israeli warplanes bombed the house of 60-year-old Fayiz Ad-Daya, where dozens of relatives had taken shelter, at 6am on 6 January.
The bodies were removed from the rubble over the next few days. The victims ranged in age between four and 60, including Fayiz Ad-Daya himself.
In its report released on Wednesday, the military claimed that it was attempting to bomb a house dozens of meters away that it alleged was being used to store weapons. It said it phoned the house to order its occupants to evacuate.
Then, through a malfunction in the targeting system of the attacking aircraft, a missile struck the Ad-Daya home instead.
The Israeli military called the killings "regretful," but said it resulted from "an operational mistake that is bound to happen during intensive fighting."
The findings come exactly a week after Israel announced it would not cooperate with a UN investigation into alleged violations of international law led by South African Justice Richard Goldstone.
An independent UN investigation into Israeli actions causing damage to UN buildings is expected in the coming days.
"Throughout the fighting in Gaza, the IDF operated in accordance with international law," the military said in a statement released on Wednesday.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=210040
Israel: 'Malfunction' caused Gaza massacre
The Israeli military said internal investigations showed it acted according to law during the three-week offensive against the Gaza Strip, but that 'malfunctions' resulted in the deaths of innocents.
On Tuesday the military said it concluded five separate investigations into the shelling of UN installations, the targeting of medical personnel and facilities, the killing of civilians, the use of the incendiary weapon white phosphorus, and the destruction of buildings by ground forces.
The military's report prominently addressed one of the most horrific single moments of the Gaza war: the killing of 21 civilian members of the Ad-Daya family, including women and young children, in the Zaytoun neighborhood of Gaza City.
According to witness accounts and reports by human rights organizations, Israeli warplanes bombed the house of 60-year-old Fayiz Ad-Daya, where dozens of relatives had taken shelter, at 6am on 6 January.
The bodies were removed from the rubble over the next few days. The victims ranged in age between four and 60, including Fayiz Ad-Daya himself.
In its report released on Wednesday, the military claimed that it was attempting to bomb a house dozens of meters away that it alleged was being used to store weapons. It said it phoned the house to order its occupants to evacuate.
Then, through a malfunction in the targeting system of the attacking aircraft, a missile struck the Ad-Daya home instead.
The Israeli military called the killings "regretful," but said it resulted from "an operational mistake that is bound to happen during intensive fighting."
The findings come exactly a week after Israel announced it would not cooperate with a UN investigation into alleged violations of international law led by South African Justice Richard Goldstone.
An independent UN investigation into Israeli actions causing damage to UN buildings is expected in the coming days.
"Throughout the fighting in Gaza, the IDF operated in accordance with international law," the military said in a statement released on Wednesday.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=210040
Rights worker inspects Israeli weapons from Gaza war
Israel is "very unlikely" to cooperate with a UN probe investigating violations of human rights and international law during the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip in December and January, AP quoted an Israeli official as saying Wednesday.
The investigation, launched by the UN Human Rights Council, runs in parallel to a UN investigation on "several incidents in the Gaza Strip between 27 December 2008 and 19 January 2009 in which death or injuries occurred" according to a UN statement.
The Human Rights probe has been welcomed by dozens of international organizations as well as Hamas, which said it was ready to work with the investigators on the probe. Dozens of local organizations in the Gaza Strip have been collecting testimonies from citizens over the human rights violations carried out by the Israeli army during their war.
The Israeli government official indicated that the UN had been notified of the country's position on the probe, but noted that he was unsure whether the probe's chief Justice Richard J. Goldstone, had been informed of the decision.
Israel's ambassador to the UN was quoted Tuesday as saying Israel does not have faith in the UN Human Rights Council.
According to AP, he said of Israel's position that, "(It's) not about Justice Goldstone. It has nothing to do with him.It's clear to everybody who follows this council and the way that it treats Israel that justice cannot be the outcome of this mission."
Investigating violations
Human Rights Watch said Gaza's Hamas rulers should also be investigated by the probe, for both the firing of projectiles towards Israeli towns, and the alleged use of Palestinian civilians as human shields during the Israeli war on the area. In its statement on the probe HRW noted its earlier criticism of the UN Human Rights Council "for its exclusive focus on Israeli rights violations."
The statement also extolled the probe's members saying the investigation is likely to "demonstrate the highest standards of impartiality."
Also under investigation by the probe will be Israel's use of white phosphorous shells in densely populated Gaza, indiscriminate shelling in civilian areas, the willful destruction of civilian property, attacking clearly identified medics, and knowingly firing at unarmed civilians.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=209887
Israel is "very unlikely" to cooperate with a UN probe investigating violations of human rights and international law during the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip in December and January, AP quoted an Israeli official as saying Wednesday.
The investigation, launched by the UN Human Rights Council, runs in parallel to a UN investigation on "several incidents in the Gaza Strip between 27 December 2008 and 19 January 2009 in which death or injuries occurred" according to a UN statement.
The Human Rights probe has been welcomed by dozens of international organizations as well as Hamas, which said it was ready to work with the investigators on the probe. Dozens of local organizations in the Gaza Strip have been collecting testimonies from citizens over the human rights violations carried out by the Israeli army during their war.
The Israeli government official indicated that the UN had been notified of the country's position on the probe, but noted that he was unsure whether the probe's chief Justice Richard J. Goldstone, had been informed of the decision.
Israel's ambassador to the UN was quoted Tuesday as saying Israel does not have faith in the UN Human Rights Council.
According to AP, he said of Israel's position that, "(It's) not about Justice Goldstone. It has nothing to do with him.It's clear to everybody who follows this council and the way that it treats Israel that justice cannot be the outcome of this mission."
Investigating violations
Human Rights Watch said Gaza's Hamas rulers should also be investigated by the probe, for both the firing of projectiles towards Israeli towns, and the alleged use of Palestinian civilians as human shields during the Israeli war on the area. In its statement on the probe HRW noted its earlier criticism of the UN Human Rights Council "for its exclusive focus on Israeli rights violations."
The statement also extolled the probe's members saying the investigation is likely to "demonstrate the highest standards of impartiality."
Also under investigation by the probe will be Israel's use of white phosphorous shells in densely populated Gaza, indiscriminate shelling in civilian areas, the willful destruction of civilian property, attacking clearly identified medics, and knowingly firing at unarmed civilians.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=209887
14 apr 2009
Human Rights Watch urges Israel, Palestinians to comply with UN Gaza investigation
The New York-based organization Human Rights Watch Israel and the Palestinians to comply with an upcoming UN-backed investigation into allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity in the recent war in Gaza.
Human Rights Watch sent letters to US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and 27 European Union foreign ministers calling on them to endorse the investigation by Jewish South African Judge Richard Goldstone.
Goldstone was tasked by the UN Human Rights council on 3 April with heading an investigation into the alleged abuses in the Gaza Strip.
Israel's military offensive on Gaza in December and January left more than 1,400 Palestinians dead.
Goldstone, a Jewish South African judge, is the former chief prosecutor of the international war crimes tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda and a member of the Human Rights Watch board.
Kenneth Roth, the executive director of Human Rights Watch said in a statement that Goldstone "has the experience and proven commitment to ensure that this inquiry will demonstrate the highest standards of impartiality."
Human Rights Watch also said that an internal military probe would be insufficient given Israel's recrord.
The organization said: "Past research into IDF investigations and prosecutions regarding the wrongful deaths of Palestinian civilians found that Israeli investigative practices and procedures were not thorough, impartial, or timely.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=209870
Human Rights Watch urges Israel, Palestinians to comply with UN Gaza investigation
The New York-based organization Human Rights Watch Israel and the Palestinians to comply with an upcoming UN-backed investigation into allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity in the recent war in Gaza.
Human Rights Watch sent letters to US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and 27 European Union foreign ministers calling on them to endorse the investigation by Jewish South African Judge Richard Goldstone.
Goldstone was tasked by the UN Human Rights council on 3 April with heading an investigation into the alleged abuses in the Gaza Strip.
Israel's military offensive on Gaza in December and January left more than 1,400 Palestinians dead.
Goldstone, a Jewish South African judge, is the former chief prosecutor of the international war crimes tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda and a member of the Human Rights Watch board.
Kenneth Roth, the executive director of Human Rights Watch said in a statement that Goldstone "has the experience and proven commitment to ensure that this inquiry will demonstrate the highest standards of impartiality."
Human Rights Watch also said that an internal military probe would be insufficient given Israel's recrord.
The organization said: "Past research into IDF investigations and prosecutions regarding the wrongful deaths of Palestinian civilians found that Israeli investigative practices and procedures were not thorough, impartial, or timely.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=209870
11 apr 2009
Israel investigated, but will it repent?
By Ramzy Baroud
Any variation of the words "Palestine" and "massacre" are sure to yield millions of results on major search engines on the World Wide Web. These results are largely in reference to hundreds of different dates and events in which numerous Palestinians were killed by the Israeli army or settlers.
But references to massacres of similar nature precede the state of Israel itself, whose establishment was secured through the ever-expanding agenda of ethnically cleansing Palestinians. Throughout its history, this bloodletting project has been carried out for once specific purpose, that being the illegal acquirement of land and the suppression or extermination of those who dare to resist.
Israel has denied almost every massacre it has committed. Those too obvious to deny were "investigated" by Israel itself, which predictably, mostly found its soldiers "not guilty" or culpable of minor misconduct. Israeli "investigations" served the dual purpose of helping Israelis retain their sense of moral superiority, and sending a highly touted message to international media of Israeli democracy at work and the independence of the country's judiciary.
With the Gaza tragedy of December 2008-January 2009 being the latest in the ever growing list of Palestinian massacres, little seems to have changed the way Israel views its actions, with the full approval of the US and the half-hearted position of much of the international community.
Nonetheless, on 3 April , the United Nations Human Rights Council appointed Richard Goldstone, a South African Jewish judge to further investigate what the council had already resolved, in a vote on 12 January, as "grave" violations of human rights by the Israeli army, in reference to the 22-day Israeli onslaught in Gaza, where over 1,400 Palestinians - mostly civilians - were killed and over 5,500 wounded.
Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor told AFP, in response to the UNHRC decision that the investigation was "not an attempt to find the truth but to tarnish Israel's reputation and to join efforts led by some countries to demonize Israel." He added, "The investigation has no moral ground since it decided even before it started who is guilty and of what." Palmor went on to exploit Israel's ever winning card: democracy, claiming that democratic nations didn't support the call to investigate the Gaza murders.
But the truth is, the UNHRC didn't jump to conclusions, but was following up on massive evidence, all pointing to the same inference: that Israel has committed war crimes in Gaza.
The work of UN human rights investigator Richard Falk itself represents an inescapable indictment of the Israeli army. His statements and reports of recent months maintained that the Israeli blockade against Gaza is "an unconditional violation of international humanitarian law," and that a massive assault on a densely populated urbanized setting, subjected the entire civilian population to "an inhumane form of warfare that kills, maims and inflicts mental harm."
The illegality of the Israeli war and the violations of human rights committed throughout the Israeli violence are not only made clear by the international legal standards used by Falk; many others made similar assessments.
For example, on 23 March, UN human rights experts accused Israel of using Gazans as human shields, highlighting the case of an 11-year-old boy. The UN secretary-general's envoy for protecting children in armed conflict, Radhika Coomaraswamy, stated that Israeli "violations were reported on a daily basis, too numerous to list."
Coomaraswamy explained that "the Israeli army shot Palestinian children, bulldozed a home with a woman and child still inside and shelled a building they had ordered civilians into a day earlier," Press TV reported. But these were "just a few examples of the hundreds of incidents that have been documented and verified."
The Israeli onslaught and ongoing siege has cost Gaza dearly, destroyed its humble economy, ruined its arable land and continues to starve its population. Reports of such facts are easily available. The words "Gaza" and "destroyed" are also sure to yield ample results. Falk, a well-regarded Jewish professor knew fully the underpinnings of his statement when he said in late January that the Israeli actions in Gaza are reminiscent of "the worst kind of international memories of the Warsaw Ghetto."
Still, Palmor, like most Israelis, is not convinced, and continues to sermonize on morality and democracy and the rest of the ever predictable terms. But if Palmor indeed believes of such an international conspiracy of "undemocratic" countries to "tarnish" Israel's otherwise prefect "reputation," he might wish to revert to Israeli newspaper Haaretz's extensive coverage of Israeli soldiers' testimonies of their own conduct in Gaza.
"It feels like hunting season has begun," Haaretz quoted an Israeli soldier who served in Gaza as saying. "Sometimes it reminds me of a Play Station (computer) game. You hear cheers in the war room after you see on the screens that the missile hit a target, as if it were a soccer game."
"There was one house with a family in it... we put them into some room. Afterward, we left the house and another company went in, and a few days after we went in there was an order to release the family. We took our positions upstairs. There was a sniper positioned on the roof and the company commander released the family and told them to take a right," said another soldier. "One mother and her two children didn't understand, and they took a left. Someone forgot to notify the sniper on the roof that the family had been released, and that it was okay, it was fine, to hold fire, and he... you can say he acted as necessary, as he was ordered to."
In a better world, many Israeli political and military leaders would find themselves before an international criminal court answering difficult questions. For now, they remain adamant that the Israeli army is the "most moral" in the world.
One must hope that the term "justice for Palestine" will quit being simply a popular search item, and in fact reflect a tangible reality, so that the extensive list of Palestinian massacres will finally come to an end.
***Ramzy Baroud (www.ramzybaroud.net) is an author and editor of PalestineChronicle.com.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=209791
Israel investigated, but will it repent?
By Ramzy Baroud
Any variation of the words "Palestine" and "massacre" are sure to yield millions of results on major search engines on the World Wide Web. These results are largely in reference to hundreds of different dates and events in which numerous Palestinians were killed by the Israeli army or settlers.
But references to massacres of similar nature precede the state of Israel itself, whose establishment was secured through the ever-expanding agenda of ethnically cleansing Palestinians. Throughout its history, this bloodletting project has been carried out for once specific purpose, that being the illegal acquirement of land and the suppression or extermination of those who dare to resist.
Israel has denied almost every massacre it has committed. Those too obvious to deny were "investigated" by Israel itself, which predictably, mostly found its soldiers "not guilty" or culpable of minor misconduct. Israeli "investigations" served the dual purpose of helping Israelis retain their sense of moral superiority, and sending a highly touted message to international media of Israeli democracy at work and the independence of the country's judiciary.
With the Gaza tragedy of December 2008-January 2009 being the latest in the ever growing list of Palestinian massacres, little seems to have changed the way Israel views its actions, with the full approval of the US and the half-hearted position of much of the international community.
Nonetheless, on 3 April , the United Nations Human Rights Council appointed Richard Goldstone, a South African Jewish judge to further investigate what the council had already resolved, in a vote on 12 January, as "grave" violations of human rights by the Israeli army, in reference to the 22-day Israeli onslaught in Gaza, where over 1,400 Palestinians - mostly civilians - were killed and over 5,500 wounded.
Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Yigal Palmor told AFP, in response to the UNHRC decision that the investigation was "not an attempt to find the truth but to tarnish Israel's reputation and to join efforts led by some countries to demonize Israel." He added, "The investigation has no moral ground since it decided even before it started who is guilty and of what." Palmor went on to exploit Israel's ever winning card: democracy, claiming that democratic nations didn't support the call to investigate the Gaza murders.
But the truth is, the UNHRC didn't jump to conclusions, but was following up on massive evidence, all pointing to the same inference: that Israel has committed war crimes in Gaza.
The work of UN human rights investigator Richard Falk itself represents an inescapable indictment of the Israeli army. His statements and reports of recent months maintained that the Israeli blockade against Gaza is "an unconditional violation of international humanitarian law," and that a massive assault on a densely populated urbanized setting, subjected the entire civilian population to "an inhumane form of warfare that kills, maims and inflicts mental harm."
The illegality of the Israeli war and the violations of human rights committed throughout the Israeli violence are not only made clear by the international legal standards used by Falk; many others made similar assessments.
For example, on 23 March, UN human rights experts accused Israel of using Gazans as human shields, highlighting the case of an 11-year-old boy. The UN secretary-general's envoy for protecting children in armed conflict, Radhika Coomaraswamy, stated that Israeli "violations were reported on a daily basis, too numerous to list."
Coomaraswamy explained that "the Israeli army shot Palestinian children, bulldozed a home with a woman and child still inside and shelled a building they had ordered civilians into a day earlier," Press TV reported. But these were "just a few examples of the hundreds of incidents that have been documented and verified."
The Israeli onslaught and ongoing siege has cost Gaza dearly, destroyed its humble economy, ruined its arable land and continues to starve its population. Reports of such facts are easily available. The words "Gaza" and "destroyed" are also sure to yield ample results. Falk, a well-regarded Jewish professor knew fully the underpinnings of his statement when he said in late January that the Israeli actions in Gaza are reminiscent of "the worst kind of international memories of the Warsaw Ghetto."
Still, Palmor, like most Israelis, is not convinced, and continues to sermonize on morality and democracy and the rest of the ever predictable terms. But if Palmor indeed believes of such an international conspiracy of "undemocratic" countries to "tarnish" Israel's otherwise prefect "reputation," he might wish to revert to Israeli newspaper Haaretz's extensive coverage of Israeli soldiers' testimonies of their own conduct in Gaza.
"It feels like hunting season has begun," Haaretz quoted an Israeli soldier who served in Gaza as saying. "Sometimes it reminds me of a Play Station (computer) game. You hear cheers in the war room after you see on the screens that the missile hit a target, as if it were a soccer game."
"There was one house with a family in it... we put them into some room. Afterward, we left the house and another company went in, and a few days after we went in there was an order to release the family. We took our positions upstairs. There was a sniper positioned on the roof and the company commander released the family and told them to take a right," said another soldier. "One mother and her two children didn't understand, and they took a left. Someone forgot to notify the sniper on the roof that the family had been released, and that it was okay, it was fine, to hold fire, and he... you can say he acted as necessary, as he was ordered to."
In a better world, many Israeli political and military leaders would find themselves before an international criminal court answering difficult questions. For now, they remain adamant that the Israeli army is the "most moral" in the world.
One must hope that the term "justice for Palestine" will quit being simply a popular search item, and in fact reflect a tangible reality, so that the extensive list of Palestinian massacres will finally come to an end.
***Ramzy Baroud (www.ramzybaroud.net) is an author and editor of PalestineChronicle.com.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=209791
6 apr 2009
A leading Israeli human rights organization praised the appointment of jurist Richard Goldstone to head a fact-finding mission, called for by the UN Human Rights Council, to investigate the recent fighting in Gaza.
"Particularly welcome is the delegation's mandate, which covers violations of international humanitarian law by both sides, in the Gaza Strip and in Israel," B'Tselem said in a statement sent to Ma'an.
"B'Tselem believes that the delegation's mandate and its composition provide the basic conditions necessary for an independent, fair, and credible investigation. However, the delegation's success depends on the full cooperation of both sides," the statement said.
"A balanced and objective investigation is clearly in Israel's best interest. Victims of the recent fighting - Palestinians as well as Israelis - have a right to a remedy, including recognition of their suffering and accountability for those who violated their rights," B'Tselem said.
Toward this end, B'Tselem called on the government of Israel to enable the delegation to enter Israel and the Gaza Strip.
Also, the group insisted that Israel provide the delegation with all relevant materials in its possession so that the members will have before them the considerations that guided the military in determining the targets that were bombed and the weapons that were used, as well as the orders given to the ground troops.
"Israel has made grave allegations regarding the combat of Hamas fighters. This evidence must also be provided to the mission," B'Tselem added.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=209677
Hamas not opposed to war crimes investigation in Gaza
The Hamas movement said it has no objection to proposals for an fact-finding mission to Gaza to investigate allegations of war crimes during the Israeli offensive in December and January.
Hamas said it would support prosecutions of Israeli leaders for war crimes, but said that the actions of the Palestinian side should not be viewed in the same light as Israel's attacks.
"The reaction of the Palestinian people and the resistance in the Gaza Strip during the war was a real self-defense and we require that any committee coming to the Gaza Strip should not look equally to the victim and the attacker," the movement said in a statement.
Last week the United Nations Human Rights Council appointed Jewish South African judge Richard Goldstone to a four-member commission tasked with investigating war crimes allegations.
The Israeli offensive left 1,455 Palestinians dead over three weeks.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=209687
"Particularly welcome is the delegation's mandate, which covers violations of international humanitarian law by both sides, in the Gaza Strip and in Israel," B'Tselem said in a statement sent to Ma'an.
"B'Tselem believes that the delegation's mandate and its composition provide the basic conditions necessary for an independent, fair, and credible investigation. However, the delegation's success depends on the full cooperation of both sides," the statement said.
"A balanced and objective investigation is clearly in Israel's best interest. Victims of the recent fighting - Palestinians as well as Israelis - have a right to a remedy, including recognition of their suffering and accountability for those who violated their rights," B'Tselem said.
Toward this end, B'Tselem called on the government of Israel to enable the delegation to enter Israel and the Gaza Strip.
Also, the group insisted that Israel provide the delegation with all relevant materials in its possession so that the members will have before them the considerations that guided the military in determining the targets that were bombed and the weapons that were used, as well as the orders given to the ground troops.
"Israel has made grave allegations regarding the combat of Hamas fighters. This evidence must also be provided to the mission," B'Tselem added.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=209677
Hamas not opposed to war crimes investigation in Gaza
The Hamas movement said it has no objection to proposals for an fact-finding mission to Gaza to investigate allegations of war crimes during the Israeli offensive in December and January.
Hamas said it would support prosecutions of Israeli leaders for war crimes, but said that the actions of the Palestinian side should not be viewed in the same light as Israel's attacks.
"The reaction of the Palestinian people and the resistance in the Gaza Strip during the war was a real self-defense and we require that any committee coming to the Gaza Strip should not look equally to the victim and the attacker," the movement said in a statement.
Last week the United Nations Human Rights Council appointed Jewish South African judge Richard Goldstone to a four-member commission tasked with investigating war crimes allegations.
The Israeli offensive left 1,455 Palestinians dead over three weeks.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=209687
4 apr 2009
Upholding the rule of law and protection are essential to prevent further civilian deaths in the wake of the recent hostilities in Gaza, a senior United Nations official said on Saturday.
The rule of law is essential to "create a realistic and real basis for hope that things will move forward," John Ging, Director of Operations in Gaza for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), said in a press briefing in New York.
"Neither side should be allowed to claim that the illegal acts of the opponent legalize an illegal act in response," he said, noting that this applies to collective sanctions and illegal rocket firing.
At least 1,300 Palestinians were killed and some 5,300 were injured in the offensive launched by Israel in late 2008 with the stated aim of ending rocket attacks by Hamas and other groups. The heavy bombardment and fighting also reduced homes, schools, hospitals and marketplaces to rubble.
From his own experience on the ground in Gaza, Ging said that he has seen Gazan mothers and fathers call, not for retaliation, but for protection and accountability "because they're concerned, not just for what has happened, but for what is coming."
He also voiced concern about the humanitarian plight of the people of Gaza, who are suffering due to the lack of access into the area for urgently needed supplies.
More than two months after the end of the military operation, "we're still faced with the same inadequate access even though the needs have grown significantly," the official said.
"Until we can get the humanitarian assistance in, in an unfettered way, we can't begin the process of recovery and reconstruction."
He stressed that even if items such as medicine and vital household supplies can enter Gaza freely, "we shouldn't content ourselves with mere survival because again, it's not just about keeping people alive, it's about giving them a life, giving them a reason to live."
In a related development, the UN Human Rights Council announced today that Richard J. Goldstone, the former chief prosecutor of two UN criminal tribunals, will lead an investigation into violations of human rights and international law during the recent conflict in Gaza.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=209635
The rule of law is essential to "create a realistic and real basis for hope that things will move forward," John Ging, Director of Operations in Gaza for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), said in a press briefing in New York.
"Neither side should be allowed to claim that the illegal acts of the opponent legalize an illegal act in response," he said, noting that this applies to collective sanctions and illegal rocket firing.
At least 1,300 Palestinians were killed and some 5,300 were injured in the offensive launched by Israel in late 2008 with the stated aim of ending rocket attacks by Hamas and other groups. The heavy bombardment and fighting also reduced homes, schools, hospitals and marketplaces to rubble.
From his own experience on the ground in Gaza, Ging said that he has seen Gazan mothers and fathers call, not for retaliation, but for protection and accountability "because they're concerned, not just for what has happened, but for what is coming."
He also voiced concern about the humanitarian plight of the people of Gaza, who are suffering due to the lack of access into the area for urgently needed supplies.
More than two months after the end of the military operation, "we're still faced with the same inadequate access even though the needs have grown significantly," the official said.
"Until we can get the humanitarian assistance in, in an unfettered way, we can't begin the process of recovery and reconstruction."
He stressed that even if items such as medicine and vital household supplies can enter Gaza freely, "we shouldn't content ourselves with mere survival because again, it's not just about keeping people alive, it's about giving them a life, giving them a reason to live."
In a related development, the UN Human Rights Council announced today that Richard J. Goldstone, the former chief prosecutor of two UN criminal tribunals, will lead an investigation into violations of human rights and international law during the recent conflict in Gaza.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=209635
3 apr 2009
The UN appointed Richard Goldstone to the four-member committee charged with following through on the Human Rights Council resolution to probe accusations of Israeli war crimes during the three-week offensive that destroyed much of the Gaza Strip.
The South African judge was a chief prosecutor for war crimes trials in both Yugoslavia and Rwanda; he also served as chairperson of the International Independent Inquiry on Kosovo, and of the Standing Commission of Inquiry Regarding Public Violence and Intimidation that addressed public violence in post-apartheid South Africa.
Goldstone will work with British international law professor Christine Chinkin, Pakistani lawyer Hina Jilani and retired Irish Army Colonel Desmond Travers on a fact-finding mission charged with investigating allegations of human rights violations and war crimes committed by Israeli soldiers, government and military personnel during the three-week Israeli war on the coastal area.
The Israeli war on Gaza left 1,455 dead and more than 5,000 injured. Recent reports from the Israeli press reveal soldiers' testimony over the shooting of unarmed civilians, although military officials have insisted that the army is the world's "most moral."
The Human Rights Council resolution was adopted at 9th special session on 12 January 2009 by an overwhelming vote of 33 in favor, 13 abstentions and only Canada voting against the motion.
It is unclear what will happen if the mission does find evidence of war crimes, however, as Israel is not a member of the International Criminal Court.
AFP quoted Spokesman for the Israeli Foreign Ministry Yigal Palmor as saying, "This committee is instructed not to seek out the truth but to single out Israel for alleged crimes." He reportedly called the 47-nation body "discredited" and said it has "practically [no] credibility at all.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=209610
The South African judge was a chief prosecutor for war crimes trials in both Yugoslavia and Rwanda; he also served as chairperson of the International Independent Inquiry on Kosovo, and of the Standing Commission of Inquiry Regarding Public Violence and Intimidation that addressed public violence in post-apartheid South Africa.
Goldstone will work with British international law professor Christine Chinkin, Pakistani lawyer Hina Jilani and retired Irish Army Colonel Desmond Travers on a fact-finding mission charged with investigating allegations of human rights violations and war crimes committed by Israeli soldiers, government and military personnel during the three-week Israeli war on the coastal area.
The Israeli war on Gaza left 1,455 dead and more than 5,000 injured. Recent reports from the Israeli press reveal soldiers' testimony over the shooting of unarmed civilians, although military officials have insisted that the army is the world's "most moral."
The Human Rights Council resolution was adopted at 9th special session on 12 January 2009 by an overwhelming vote of 33 in favor, 13 abstentions and only Canada voting against the motion.
It is unclear what will happen if the mission does find evidence of war crimes, however, as Israel is not a member of the International Criminal Court.
AFP quoted Spokesman for the Israeli Foreign Ministry Yigal Palmor as saying, "This committee is instructed not to seek out the truth but to single out Israel for alleged crimes." He reportedly called the 47-nation body "discredited" and said it has "practically [no] credibility at all.
http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=209610
2 apr 2009
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon may not release the findings of a report he ordered into the Israeli war on Gaza, Press TV has learned.
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On Thursday, a spokesperson for Ban cast doubt on whether a report ordered into the three weeks of Israeli military operations in Gaza was meant for public use.
"No. As I said, (the secretary general) is going to first examine the report and decide what to do about it then. This is a report directed to him," said spokeswoman Michele Montas, answering a question posed by a Press TV correspondent. She also denied knowledge of whether the secretary-general had committed himself to publicizing an executive summary of the report. "I do not know at this point. I can not answer that question. As I said, I will be able to answer it once" he has read it. |
The international body had previously promised to help in ending the humanitarian crisis caused in the Gaza Strip by Israeli raids in late 2008 and early 2009.
Over 1,350 Palestinians were killed in the operations -- most of them civilians.
UN shelters -- swarmed with refugees -- were also targeted three times during the attacks, prompting the body to commission the report.
Political experts have linked the possible deferment to the secretary-general's disinclination to go against Tel Aviv and the UN members favoring the continuation of the sixty years of Israeli occupation.
Wednesday, hot on the heels of the inauguration of the new Israeli government, Ban issued a statement and welcomed the far-right incoming echelons despite their hawkish rhetoric and plans to end all prospects of peace for the Palestinians.
"The secretary general welcomes the formation of a new government in Israel and looks forward to working with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the full range of peace and security issues in the region," Montas said.
The developments come amid the member states' complaints of the intangible outcome of the UN Security Council's meetings convened on the so-called Middle East peace process.
"Despite international engagement and support, very little concrete progress has been made on key issues outlined in Security Council Resolution 1860" aimed at realizing an "endurable" peace in the region.
Over 1,350 Palestinians were killed in the operations -- most of them civilians.
UN shelters -- swarmed with refugees -- were also targeted three times during the attacks, prompting the body to commission the report.
Political experts have linked the possible deferment to the secretary-general's disinclination to go against Tel Aviv and the UN members favoring the continuation of the sixty years of Israeli occupation.
Wednesday, hot on the heels of the inauguration of the new Israeli government, Ban issued a statement and welcomed the far-right incoming echelons despite their hawkish rhetoric and plans to end all prospects of peace for the Palestinians.
"The secretary general welcomes the formation of a new government in Israel and looks forward to working with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the full range of peace and security issues in the region," Montas said.
The developments come amid the member states' complaints of the intangible outcome of the UN Security Council's meetings convened on the so-called Middle East peace process.
"Despite international engagement and support, very little concrete progress has been made on key issues outlined in Security Council Resolution 1860" aimed at realizing an "endurable" peace in the region.
