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Israel 'lied' over Gaza air raid
The Israeli military has been accused of providing false information about an air strike against suspected Palestinian militants in Gaza.
Last month, the air force released video footage which it said disproved Palestinian claims that at least 10 civilians were killed in the raid.
At the time, the air force chief said two missiles were fired, killing only the occupants in the car.
But Israeli MPs say they have evidence a more deadly type of weapon was used.
Missile doubts
The Israeli military took the unusual step of showing the footage at a press conference, following the attack on 20 October, after accusing the Palestinians of lying about casualties.
The grainy black-and-white film showed the car driving along a deserted road when it was hit by two strikes, seconds apart, from the air.
There were no civilians visible in the area at the time.
Israeli air force commander Dan Halutz said Hellfire missiles had been fired by Apache helicopters, which he said had the effect of "two assault grenades".
But left-wing Israeli member of parliament Yossi Sarid said he had evidence "powerful munitions with an unusually large range of impact" had been used.
"There is no doubt that the original report [by the Israeli military] was incorrect," he said.
Army 'erred'
Israeli journalist Shlomi Eldar who visited the scene the day after the attack said residents told him at least one of the munitions was unusual.
"First, it exploded in the air, also it dispersed to great distances," he quoted witnesses as saying.
After Mr Sarid threatened to unveil "confidential information" about the air strike, the Israeli military acknowledged it had not provided a full account.
Army chief Lieutenant General Moshe Yaalon said: "Perhaps, due to the operational and security sensitivity of the matter at hand, we erred in the way we chose to define the operational means we used."
He said there had been no intention to provide misleading information.
© BBC MMIII
At the time, the air force chief said two missiles were fired, killing only the occupants in the car.
But Israeli MPs say they have evidence a more deadly type of weapon was used.
Missile doubts
The Israeli military took the unusual step of showing the footage at a press conference, following the attack on 20 October, after accusing the Palestinians of lying about casualties.
The grainy black-and-white film showed the car driving along a deserted road when it was hit by two strikes, seconds apart, from the air.
There were no civilians visible in the area at the time.
Israeli air force commander Dan Halutz said Hellfire missiles had been fired by Apache helicopters, which he said had the effect of "two assault grenades".
But left-wing Israeli member of parliament Yossi Sarid said he had evidence "powerful munitions with an unusually large range of impact" had been used.
"There is no doubt that the original report [by the Israeli military] was incorrect," he said.
Army 'erred'
Israeli journalist Shlomi Eldar who visited the scene the day after the attack said residents told him at least one of the munitions was unusual.
"First, it exploded in the air, also it dispersed to great distances," he quoted witnesses as saying.
After Mr Sarid threatened to unveil "confidential information" about the air strike, the Israeli military acknowledged it had not provided a full account.
Army chief Lieutenant General Moshe Yaalon said: "Perhaps, due to the operational and security sensitivity of the matter at hand, we erred in the way we chose to define the operational means we used."
He said there had been no intention to provide misleading information.
© BBC MMIII
For more information:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/322...
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Let's pause for a brief moment and look at just one aspect of the israeli government's announcements, that being its assassinations of so called "militants". For a while I thought I was hallucinating because I kept hearing the same comments uttered by an Israeli army (or government, if there's a difference, who is aware of same?) spokesperson every time a Palestinian "militant" or "terrorist" met his death. We were told he was the leader of such and such a group, responsible for such and such number of Israeli deaths.
If we were to believe this, I mused, the militant groups of Palestine must have a massive reserve of militant group leaders, so much so, they can pull them out at will; likewise, if the numbers of Israelis killed by these militants were tallied, then the death toll would be in the thousands.
And, I thought, surely no one believes this stuff?
It was with relief, then, that I read Gideon Levy's article in Ha'aretz, dated 14/09/03, wherein he observed the following:
"Last week, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) announced that soldiers from the undercover unit, Duvdevan, had liquidated Ahmed Bader, describing him as 'the head of the Hamas military wing in Hebron.''"
That, in itself, is plausible, is it not? Aha! But there's more. Just read on.
"Seven weeks earlier, on June 22, we were informed that a force of the Border Police and the Shin Bet security service had eliminated 'the head of the military wing of Hamas in Hebron.' On that occasion the part was played by Abdullah Qawasmeh".
Poor Abdullah!!! Was he elevated to the 'head of the military wing of Hamas in Hebron' without his knowledge and posthumously? Sorry, Gideon. Didn't mean to interrupt you here.
Let's allow Mr. Levy to continue, shall we?
"Three months before that, on March 18, it was reported that the IDF had terminated Ali Alan, who was also 'the head of the military wing of Hamas in Hebron.''
I read on, fascinated.
"Seven months prior to that, on August 28, 2002, it was announced that the IDF had arrested "the head of the military wing of Hamas in Hebron," Abdel Halek Natshe.
What? Natshe was not assassinated? Terminated? Liquidated? Or otherwise sent on his unexpected trek to that higher level? Wonder where he is as we speak?
Gideon must be finding this as incredulous as I am reading same. He continues:
"Less than a year before that, in November 2001, the IDF reported that a helicopter-launched missile killed Jail Jadallah – 'the head of the military wing of Hamas in Hebron.'"
Thank you, Gideon Levy, for confirming what I had been thinking. In less than a two year period we learn that Israel arrested one "head of the military wing of Hamas" and liquidated four.
Now what does this tell us? That Israeli troops and/or government are suffering from a severe case of mistaken identity? That the four dead were carrying banners proclaiming to be "head of the military wing of Hamas in Hebron" when gunned down?
Tragically, however, we do not know who these four dead and one arrested were if they were not, as it's most likely, the infamous "head of the military wing of Hamas in Hebron".
And this begs the question. Why should we believe anything the Israeli government says when it claims to have terminated, liquidated, assassinated, or otherwise removed from this earth a "militant", or a 'terrorist", or the "head of" any group or otherwise? Perhaps Mr. Levy could make a habit of this, you know, study the various death announcements and compare them for credibility purposes.
see:
http://www.antiwar.com/hacohen/h102703.html