UN says Israel 'may have committed war crimes'

[rhonda15]

UN officials have said war crimes may have been committed during Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip.

United Nations officials expressed outrage after Israeli tank fire killed two boys in a UN school today. Mr John Ging, the head of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in Gaza, said he was concerned about possible war crimes.

"These two little boys are as innocent, indisputably, as they are dead," Mr Ging said as Israel's offensive entered its 4th week.

"The question now being asked is: is this and the killing of all other innocent civilians in Gaza a war crime?"

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay called for independent investigations into possible war crimes after Israel's shelling of another UN school compound killed 42 people, including women and children, earlier this month.
UN says Israel 'may have committed war crimes' - The Irish Times - Sat, Jan 17, 2009

MAY have!?



Shooting Practice

As the firing died down, the family thought their misery was over. But the Israeli soldiers were not finished yet.
"When the soldiers came closer, I thought they will kill me," said Awaga who faked being dead.
"But they were aiming at my young child," he said choking at the bitter memory.
One soldier came close to Ibrahim's body, turning him by his leg and laughing while another fired his gun to the dead boy's head.
Laughs got louder as they carried the body to a higher place to start their party.
For a whole hour, the father hushed his cries of pain as he watched the Israeli soldiers compete in sniping on his dead son's body.
"They were using his bullet-ridden, bleeding body as a shooting practice.
"With each bullet, they were humming with words I could not figure out, but it sounded full of rapture. It was as if they were celebrating."
When they finally had enough "practicing," the Israelis took their guns and left the house.
Four complete days passed before emergency doctors were able to find their way to the family and rush them to hospital.
"What did my son do to deserve that?" Awaga asks, shaking his head in disbelief.
"The Israelis killed my kid, not once or twice but a thousand times."
"Dad, I'm Dying" :: www.uruknet.info :: informazione dall'Iraq occupato :: news from occupied Iraq :: - it



Killed by Israel, Eaten by Dogs
Ola Attallah, IOL Correspondent

Jan 15, 2009

GAZA CITY - "Oh, God! I have never seen such a terrible scene," cried Kayed Abu Aukal.

The emergency doctor could not believe himself seeing the remains of what was days back Shahd, a full-fleshed 4-year-old Palestinian girl.

She died when an Israeli shell was fired at the backyard of her home in the Jabalya refugee camp northern Gaza strip, where she was playing.

When her parents attempted to rush to the rescue of their kid, who fell to the ground amid a pool of her blood, rains of Israeli bullets kept them a distance.

For the next five days Shahd's which was left lying in the open left for dogs to tear out.

"The dogs did not leave one single part of the poor baby's body intact," said a tearful Abu Aukal.
Killed by Israel, Eaten by Dogs :: www.uruknet.info :: informazione dall'Iraq occupato :: news from occupied Iraq :: - it

Mods please don't lock this

There are really some shocking stories abounding out there - how long will Israel go unpunished for this slaughter?

[FutureTaoiseach]

American - wake up and stop supporting this fascist state.

[Objecteev]

UN officials have said war crimes may have been committed during Israel's offensive in the Gaza Strip.

May have been.. or may have not been. Time will tell. Already the UN said there are no evidence of any illegal weapons used despite accusations. So, reality is different than accusations. Time will tell.

There are really some shocking stories abounding out there - how long will Israel go unpunished for this slaughter?

First, it has to do something wrong. Then, you need evidence of that and an indictment.
So far Israel's actions have mostly been a proper response and an act of self defense.

[FakeViking]

May have been.. or may have not been. Time will tell. Already the UN said there are no evidence of any illegal weapons used despite accusations. So, reality is different than accusations. Time will tell.


First, it has to do something wrong. Then, you need evidence of that and an indictment.
So far Israel's actions have mostly been a proper response and an act of self defense.

F*uk off you apologist for mass murderer of childen. May you and yours (I include your equals in Hamas) have a long and painful death.

[yanshuf]

F*uk off you apologist for mass murderer of childen. May you and yours (I include your equals in Hamas) have a long and painful death.

Now that's the human substance the Irish left is made of. You tend to lose it when it comes to Israel.

May you and the supporters of terror have long years, so we won't be the only ones to suffer from you.

[Seán E. Ryan]

May have been.. or may have not been. Time will tell. Already the UN said there are no evidence of any illegal weapons used despite accusations. So, reality is different than accusations. Time will tell.


First, it has to do something wrong. Then, you need evidence of that and an indictment.
So far Israel's actions have mostly been a proper response and an act of self defense.

So it would be quite proper to say that not all of Israel's actions have been proper and acts of self defence?

It's the acts that were not proper that are war crimes.

[markeys]

Israel has the right to defend itself against Hamas. What it does not have is the right to commit actions that are out of all proportion to the threat and that willfully place civilians at risk.

No matter which way you carve it, firing artillery shells into densely populated areas shows a complete lack of regard of civilian life. Dropping massive missiles into densely populated areas is not morally right. And before the hamas firing rockets into Israel comes up, the UN has correctly pointed out that Israels obligations to human rights are seperate to Hamas obligations.

YOu cannot deploy massive bombardment of an area and at the same time close borders and prevent civilians from fleeing the area. Someone aid previously like shooting fish in a bowl. This is their greatest crime, that they afforded civilians no chance or opportunity to leave Gaza.

Of course Israel should be investigated for war crimes. THeir actions have been nothing short of murderous. Who in their right minds bombs a UN school or shells a hospital?
Hamas should equally be investigated for firing rockets into civilian areas.

[The Earl of Desmond]

Oh so would you be foaming at the mouth if the rockets fired at Israel had hit ISraeli homes and killed Israelis the way you are over a few Palestinian deaths. Deaths which could have been avoided if Hamas had not forced women and children to stay in the same building as the rockets they were firing at Israel.

Some hero Hamas are.

Whereas the real heros in the IDF are returning home to their families as heros and those who died in the line of duty will be remembered for the sacrifice they made for their country and defended it against Hamas scum.

Are we seriously meant to believe Hamas would think twice about killing Israeli women and children given half the chance? Maybe Israelis should start firing rockets into Gaza from their rooftops.

Would that be proportionate enough?

[The Earl of Desmond]

Israel is going to ask for an investigation into why the UN allowed Hamas to use UN buidligns to fire rockets and why UN staff in Gaza have been colluding with Hamas.

[Objecteev]

So it would be quite proper to say that not all of Israel's actions have been proper and acts of self defence?
It's the acts that were not proper that are war crimes.

You are asking for my own opinion right? ...as some people's opinion are that ALL actions of Israel are war crimes (as it has no right to exist or protect it) and some think all are proper..

So my opinion? Some actions of IDF may (or may not, as we don't know the facts and may never do) be improper or careless. I wished less mistakes were made, more attention to details in some cases, and certainly more sensitivity in many cases (as you can never be sensitive enough)..

Having said that, insensitivity or improper responses do not mean war crimes.
Only very specific things are war crimes.
Feckups and mistakes are not war crimes. So is leaving behind the Israeli kidnapped soldier - Gilad Shalit
If you ask my opinion, in this case, it is unlikely any action of IDF was a war crime.
If there were such extreme cases, I hope those will be uncovered and steps will be taken to penalize rouge soldiers, again, if such cases existed..

My opinion is that Israel did a good job in most parts. It seemed to have learned and understood most of the lessons from the Lebanon war.
My opinion is that the reaction was mainly proportionate and vastly called for.
My understanding that the actions did not include banned or illegal weapons, as the head of IDF clearly stated, and as the UN indicated. And a research into this will clearly be made.
My observation is that no war crimes were made, certainly on the global operation level. That is by IDF. It is the same observation that sees every missile fired indiscriminately into Israeli cities, with no guide or aim at military but on the contrary - into civilian areas - is clearly a war crime. Same for booby trapping civilians houses and firing from their back yards and using them as human shields.

My opinion is that the unilateral cease fire was called for and actually should have come several days earlier.
My opinion is that the cease fire will not last. IDF and Israel will not accept continued missiles into Israel. I'm affraid we will see all of it blast into flames once again.
My opinion is that too many innocent on both sides were hurt, especially on the Palestinian side.

My view is that Israel's reaction was hard, but called for and well understood by Hammas, even though it took them by total and utter surprise. And so was the extreme Islamic world, as evidently by posts here as well of FakeViking and others (btw, FakeViking, very nice response from you).