Israel and Hamas Deny War Crimes after Amnesty Report

by Rob Walker | February 23, 2009 at 01:17 pm

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While investigations by numerous human rights groups are ongoing, Amnesty International released a scathing report yesterday, blaming both Hamas and Israel for civilian deaths. They argue that international law clearly states that a distinction must be made between combatants and non-combatants.

They also argue that the use of white phosphorous, which was allegedly procured from the United States, was dropped by IDF aircraft on built-up civilian areas. This would be a direct contravention of the GEneva Convention.

Human rights investigators have been trawling through the rubble in Gaza and gathering testimonies in an attempt to piece together a picture of the way both sides fought and the weapons they used.
International law demands that a distinction is made between combatants and non-combatants, and civilian casualties proportionate to the military gains from the attack in which they occurred.

Amnesty delivered the report precisely one month after Israel and Hamas declared unilateral ceasefires in Gaza.
Its fact-finding missions unearthed evidence that Israeli troops "used white phosphorus and other weapons supplied by the USA to carry out serious violations of international humanitarian law, including war crimes".

The Israeli ministry of foreign affairs issued a response to Amnesty International's claims on Monday, arguing that their version of events is 'biased' and does not meet standards of objectivity. They list a series of 'rebuffs' that argues many of Amnesty's points.

In response to questions by the media, following is the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs response to Amnesty International's report on use of weapons in Operation Cast Lead:
Initial study of the report indicates that it presents a biased version of the events, and does not adhere to professional criteria and objectivity. A detailed response will be given at a later stage, but at this time, it is possible to state that:

Hamas also strongly denied Amnesty's report, saying their demands are unbalanced and unfair and denied that any country was exporting arms to Hamas.

Hamas on Monday rejected an Amnesty International report that accused the Palestinian Islamic movement, as well as Israel, of using weapons illegally during the recent Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip.

In a separate report, Amnesty called on the United States to stop supplying arms to Israel, as they say they are being used on civilians.

Amnesty International has called on the United States to stop supplying Israel with arms it says were used in the killing of civilians in Gaza during Israel's three-week military offensive on the Hamas ruled territory and its civilian population.

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Fripouille

at 18:31 on February 23rd, 2009

This post should be tagged "opinion". It is biased. Any post has the right to put over just one side of the story as long as it is tagged "opinion". No problem.

However this post talks about an AI report that criticises both sides for use of American munitions. I have read this information elsewhere and it clearly cites use by, and gives examples of use by, both sides.

but your only sources and comments are on what the Israeli side used, and the only comment (or lack of it, which should have been stated) by the belligerants, comes from just one side. Moreover, AI calls for the cessation of delivery of these munitions was directed at both sides, not just one as is implied here.

Rob Walker, you are supposed to be a "World Channel Manager" here on NP.

As such, you should be ashamed of this deliberate (unless you don't know the rules here) misuse of NP rules which you abuse to put up a one-sided post as being news and not comment. Please change this post to comment or have the honest elegance to take it down.

Amy Judd

at 21:02 on February 23rd, 2009

Thanks for your comments here on the matter of opinion or not.

Rob Walker is back on shift tomorrow morning and I will let him address this issue when he starts.

I think saying someone should be 'ashamed' of their work is taking the matter too far however and Rob will explain his reasons or do what he feels is necessary tomorrow morning.

Fripouille

at 00:54 on February 24th, 2009

Yes, you're right amyjudd. I should not have used that term and I apologise for it unreservedly both to Rob Walker and to yourself. I shan't edit it, as a gesture of my accepting that it looks bad now that a little time has gone by since I wrote it. It does me no credit, but I did write it, it was wrong, I accept that willingly, and I won't try to hide behind its absence...

Rob Walker

at 04:35 on February 24th, 2009

I think you guys need to calm down a bit and not assume a political slant on every single story. Hamas hadn't issued any response when I wrote this story and I didn't get a chance to update it. I should have mentioned that, but I posted what information was out there at the time.

Maybe instead of jumping down someone's throat, you could add some news and resources yourselves, since that's what NP is all about.

Fripouille

at 06:14 on February 24th, 2009

Thank you Rob,

I see what you mean about Hamas comments, but it seemed to me that the most important missing element was from the original title of your post, which did not mention Hamas. That absence was crucial in how the post would be interpreted, and I was more than surprised to read it given the fact that Amnesty issued the report in a form which simultaneously blamed both sides for war crimes.

Also, the report you mention asks for the cessation of arms deliveries to both sides simultaneously and not just Israel (as is still inferred in the post, moreover). It mentioned material deivered to Israel from the US, and Russia/China/Iran as having supplied Palestine.

It's summed up pretty neatly in this quote from the report;

(those arming both sides in the conflict) "will have been well aware of a pattern of repeated misuse of weapons by both parties and must therefore take responsibility for the violations perpetrated".

I first read of the report, and its incrimination of both sides in this article and have seen it presented in the same way elsewhere.

AMAREIN

at 06:43 on February 25th, 2009

i was in Jerusalem during the war in Gaza recently. I had first hand info from families of many of the civilian victims. indeed white phospherous was used by the Israeli Defence Force, .at autopsy corpses had the classic signs severe burning of major intrnal organs , resembling cooked meat. no-one disputes that Israel has the right to defend itself against Hamas rocket attacks in southern Israeli towns... there is of course a world of difference as in the 1967 6-DAY WAR AND THE YOM KIPPUR WAR OF 1973 that was armt to army or rather man to man . a world of difference from the unbridled &disproportionate slaughter of the innocents .....nothing can justify the war crimes commited, it is a weak excuse to claim that Hamas hides behind the skirts of women & children, plus a nonsense to claim that Isreal advised the evacuation of the Gaza Strip prior to the ground offensive... where on earth could the poor people go ? the widerness of the Sinai desert in the depths of winter , and with what?????

what grieves me now is we no longer know the plight of the residents of that stricken region because the news has moved on ...... terrible as 9/11 was we are still seeing the images from time to time of the Twin Towers 8 years on . does the world somehow think that American or Western lives are more valuable than Palestinian ones /all life is precious no matter what the race or creed ........ there is no difference between a mothers tears!

shame on all who have blood on their hands all this futile violence will achieve is more hatred and bloodshed.