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Israel War Crimes.
Human Rights Council Special Session on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, July 6, 2006 Human Rights Watch written statement
(Geneva, July 6, 2006) – This first special session of the Human Rights Council provides an important opportunity to address the current humanitarian and security crisis in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT), especially in Gaza, where Israeli military actions have led to the killing of Palestinian civilians, as well as periodic shortages of food, fuel, electricity, water and medicine, and Palestinian armed groups have committed serious violations of international humanitarian law. The council should address abuses by both sides to the conflict. In addition, Human Rights Watch hopes that this will be the first of many special sessions of the council, and that the council will demonstrate its political objectivity by providing an equally timely response to the many other serious and deteriorating human rights situations around the world.
According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), in May and June 2006, 87 Palestinians were killed in Gaza and almost 300 injured, mostly from Israeli fire but also due to clashes between Palestinian armed groups and individuals. Many of those killed in June were Palestinian civilians who died during Israeli air force “targeted killings,” which either missed their targets entirely or caused significant civilian casualties. During this period, Palestinian groups have indiscriminately fired numerous Qassam rockets at Israeli towns.
Gaza’s population of 1.5 million is currently facing significant hardships due to the Israeli blockade on Gaza’s few crossing points, Israel’s destruction of Gaza’s only electric plant and Israel’s withholding of Palestinian tax revenues, coupled with international donor aid cuts after the swearing-in of the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority in March 2006. As a result, for the fifth month in a row, the Palestinian Authority has been unable to pay most salaries to its approximately 160,000 civil servants.
Even though Israel unilaterally withdrew its troops and settlements from Gaza in 2005, it continues to have obligations as an occupying power in Gaza under the Fourth Geneva Convention because of its almost complete control over Gaza’s borders, sea and air space, tax revenue, utilities, population registry, and the internal economy of Gaza. At a minimum, Israel continues to be responsible for the basic welfare of the Palestinian population in Gaza.
Since June 25, Palestinian armed groups have abducted and killed an Israeli settler in the West Bank and are currently holding Israeli soldier Corporal Gilad Shalit hostage, whom they have offered to release in exchange for some of the Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. A hostage is a person held in the power of an adversary in order to obtain specific actions, such as the release of prisoners, from the other party to the conflict. Holding persons as hostages and the summary execution of anyone held captive are war crimes.
Since the capture of Corporal Shalit, the Israeli army has re-entered parts of the Gaza Strip. The air force has destroyed government buildings, bridges and the only domestic electricity plant in Gaza, which is essential to power the water system, sewage treatment and medical services in Gaza; the laws of war prohibit attacks on “objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population.” Israeli forces have also detained elected members of the Palestinian government and legislature, a step which has undermined the ability of the Palestinian Authority to function.
As well as actual bombing raids, Israeli military airplanes have conducted nightly sonic booming raids over Gaza, apparently with the aim of making the civilian population fearful that actual bombing is under way. Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention prohibits “measures of intimidation” against the civilian population.
Since late 2005, Palestinian armed groups have indiscriminately fired hundreds of Qassam rockets into Israel, in violation of the laws of war, seriously injuring several Israeli civilians, damaging civilian infrastructure and causing fear among the civilian population living near the Gaza border. On July 4, a Qassam rocket damaged a high school, empty at the time, in Ashkelon in southern Israel. Many of these rockets were launched near civilian areas, placing Palestinian civilians at risk in the event of an Israeli response. Parties to the conflict must, to the extent feasible, avoid locating military objects within or near densely populated areas.
In a stated bid to stop the Qassams, Israel has fired more than 8,000 artillery shells into northern Gaza since late 2005, including around 5,000 in a one-week period. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, this shelling has killed 47 Palestinians, both members of armed groups and civilians, including 11 children and five women, and has injured 192 others. The shelling has also displaced residents of northern Gaza and severely interrupted their daily lives. Under the laws of war, attacks are indiscriminate if they are not directed at a specific military objective and attacks against military targets must not cause harm to the civilian population that is disproportionate to the expected military gain. All feasible precautions must be taken to avoid harm to civilians or civilian loss of life. According to a preliminary Human Rights Watch field investigation, the pattern of Israeli artillery fire into northern Gaza is indiscriminate because, given the type of weapon and location of the attacks, Israel has failed to distinguish between combatant and civilian.
Human Rights Watch calls for an immediate, effective and independent investigation, which may comprise a number of the relevant U.N. Special Rapporteurs, as well as additional international humanitarian law, military, ballistic and forensic experts, to carry out an on-site investigation into Israel’s military actions in Gaza, as well as Palestinian rocket fire into Israel. All parties should allow the investigative team full access to all necessary locations, evidence and individuals.
Human Rights Watch also calls on Israeli security forces and Palestinian armed groups to respect international humanitarian law and human rights principles. As an occupying power in Gaza, Israel remains responsible for the basic welfare of the Palestinian population in Gaza, in particular the health, educational and humanitarian needs of the population, to the extent these are affected by Israeli restrictions. Israel must ensure that it does not fire indiscriminately in civilian areas, that attacks on military objects do not cause disproportionate civilian harm, and that it does not target objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population. In addition, Israel should cease using aircraft intending to cause fear among the population by creating sonic booms over the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Palestinian armed groups should ensure Corporal Shalit’s well being and stop making demands as a condition for his release, avoid locating military objects in densely populated areas, and should stop firing inherently indiscriminate Qassam rockets into Israel.
According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), in May and June 2006, 87 Palestinians were killed in Gaza and almost 300 injured, mostly from Israeli fire but also due to clashes between Palestinian armed groups and individuals. Many of those killed in June were Palestinian civilians who died during Israeli air force “targeted killings,” which either missed their targets entirely or caused significant civilian casualties. During this period, Palestinian groups have indiscriminately fired numerous Qassam rockets at Israeli towns.
Gaza’s population of 1.5 million is currently facing significant hardships due to the Israeli blockade on Gaza’s few crossing points, Israel’s destruction of Gaza’s only electric plant and Israel’s withholding of Palestinian tax revenues, coupled with international donor aid cuts after the swearing-in of the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority in March 2006. As a result, for the fifth month in a row, the Palestinian Authority has been unable to pay most salaries to its approximately 160,000 civil servants.
Even though Israel unilaterally withdrew its troops and settlements from Gaza in 2005, it continues to have obligations as an occupying power in Gaza under the Fourth Geneva Convention because of its almost complete control over Gaza’s borders, sea and air space, tax revenue, utilities, population registry, and the internal economy of Gaza. At a minimum, Israel continues to be responsible for the basic welfare of the Palestinian population in Gaza.
Since June 25, Palestinian armed groups have abducted and killed an Israeli settler in the West Bank and are currently holding Israeli soldier Corporal Gilad Shalit hostage, whom they have offered to release in exchange for some of the Palestinians imprisoned by Israel. A hostage is a person held in the power of an adversary in order to obtain specific actions, such as the release of prisoners, from the other party to the conflict. Holding persons as hostages and the summary execution of anyone held captive are war crimes.
Since the capture of Corporal Shalit, the Israeli army has re-entered parts of the Gaza Strip. The air force has destroyed government buildings, bridges and the only domestic electricity plant in Gaza, which is essential to power the water system, sewage treatment and medical services in Gaza; the laws of war prohibit attacks on “objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population.” Israeli forces have also detained elected members of the Palestinian government and legislature, a step which has undermined the ability of the Palestinian Authority to function.
As well as actual bombing raids, Israeli military airplanes have conducted nightly sonic booming raids over Gaza, apparently with the aim of making the civilian population fearful that actual bombing is under way. Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention prohibits “measures of intimidation” against the civilian population.
Since late 2005, Palestinian armed groups have indiscriminately fired hundreds of Qassam rockets into Israel, in violation of the laws of war, seriously injuring several Israeli civilians, damaging civilian infrastructure and causing fear among the civilian population living near the Gaza border. On July 4, a Qassam rocket damaged a high school, empty at the time, in Ashkelon in southern Israel. Many of these rockets were launched near civilian areas, placing Palestinian civilians at risk in the event of an Israeli response. Parties to the conflict must, to the extent feasible, avoid locating military objects within or near densely populated areas.
In a stated bid to stop the Qassams, Israel has fired more than 8,000 artillery shells into northern Gaza since late 2005, including around 5,000 in a one-week period. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, this shelling has killed 47 Palestinians, both members of armed groups and civilians, including 11 children and five women, and has injured 192 others. The shelling has also displaced residents of northern Gaza and severely interrupted their daily lives. Under the laws of war, attacks are indiscriminate if they are not directed at a specific military objective and attacks against military targets must not cause harm to the civilian population that is disproportionate to the expected military gain. All feasible precautions must be taken to avoid harm to civilians or civilian loss of life. According to a preliminary Human Rights Watch field investigation, the pattern of Israeli artillery fire into northern Gaza is indiscriminate because, given the type of weapon and location of the attacks, Israel has failed to distinguish between combatant and civilian.
Human Rights Watch calls for an immediate, effective and independent investigation, which may comprise a number of the relevant U.N. Special Rapporteurs, as well as additional international humanitarian law, military, ballistic and forensic experts, to carry out an on-site investigation into Israel’s military actions in Gaza, as well as Palestinian rocket fire into Israel. All parties should allow the investigative team full access to all necessary locations, evidence and individuals.
Human Rights Watch also calls on Israeli security forces and Palestinian armed groups to respect international humanitarian law and human rights principles. As an occupying power in Gaza, Israel remains responsible for the basic welfare of the Palestinian population in Gaza, in particular the health, educational and humanitarian needs of the population, to the extent these are affected by Israeli restrictions. Israel must ensure that it does not fire indiscriminately in civilian areas, that attacks on military objects do not cause disproportionate civilian harm, and that it does not target objects indispensable to the survival of the civilian population. In addition, Israel should cease using aircraft intending to cause fear among the population by creating sonic booms over the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Palestinian armed groups should ensure Corporal Shalit’s well being and stop making demands as a condition for his release, avoid locating military objects in densely populated areas, and should stop firing inherently indiscriminate Qassam rockets into Israel.
For more information:
http://hrw.org/english/docs/2006/07/06/isr...
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Excuse me. Didn't Israel pack up and volutarily leave Gaza? Instead of the Palestinians interpreting this gesture for peace as a sign of weakness and proceeding to use Gaza as a base to launch attacks against Israel and Israelis, Palestinianss could have said, "Wow! Now let's show the world what we can do and build a mini state with fine roads, a good sewage system, first rate schools, and outstanding medical clinics. Gaza could have been a show place instead of a hell hole. The wealth of the Arab world -- far, far greater than the wealth of all the Jews in the world many times over could have made these things easily possible. The Palestinians and the rest of the Arab world could have said: "Let's show Israel we really want peace!" Instead Palestinians did the same old same old, They resorted to savage acts of terror, and their government did nothing to stop them. Be clear! Israel is not packing up and going away. If Palestinians would only acknowledge the sovereignty of the Jewish State of Israel and negotiate in good faith, they would have a state of their own, and the misery for which you blame Israel would end. Until that happens, Palestinians can only blame themselves for the suffering and horror their decision to choose terror over peace brings in its wake.
Nothing will happen as Israel is doing this from a long period and US supporting this, if any resolution against Israel is going to be present in security council US simply vetoes it, which is not fair in any condition. US and Israel are terrorists and simply calling others terrorists and attack other countries. US and Israel are terrorists
It seems to be a joke...... talking of other to disarm and having arms of mass destructions........
same sace is here Israel is a terrorist country and tries to blame tohers for it
same sace is here Israel is a terrorist country and tries to blame tohers for it
You are discounting the maxim "all politics is local"
BLAMING the Palestinians for the fix they are in is cruel, in spite of the fact that decisions made by Palestinians are a big part of the problem. The realities here are:
a) For reasons of gains available WITHIN the Palestinian population various factions found it to their benefit not to treat the withdrawal frpom Gaza as anything other than an oportunity to step up the conflict.
b) An argument can be made that the Israelis KNEW this would happen. Even here from the outside I was able to predict the course of events.
The reality is that had the Gazans acted otherwise (all of them) and a substantial non-violence campaing in the West Bank could have gotten the Israelis to withdraw from MOST of the West Bank. Negotiations could have established what goods and people movements through Israel woudl be allowed, what work permits, etc. Things that the nascent Palestinian state would need for its survival (becuase as noted, the rest of the Arab world NOT really have provided much aid),
BUT (some very big buts)
a) That would be the maximum the Palestinains could get going down that road.
b) Even a tiny minority of Palestinians intent on fighting on for more could screw this up becuase ANY attacks would close down the border. There is no way the rest of the Palestinians COULD prevent that, even if they were willing to fight a civil war (the Israelis MIGHT accept a "clearly best effort" to put down the attacks).
In other words, the Palestinians are screwed not because they are making unwise decisions but because humans in this situation are trapped by the situation. Continued occupation and raids is NOT as bad as civil war.
BLAMING the Palestinians for the fix they are in is cruel, in spite of the fact that decisions made by Palestinians are a big part of the problem. The realities here are:
a) For reasons of gains available WITHIN the Palestinian population various factions found it to their benefit not to treat the withdrawal frpom Gaza as anything other than an oportunity to step up the conflict.
b) An argument can be made that the Israelis KNEW this would happen. Even here from the outside I was able to predict the course of events.
The reality is that had the Gazans acted otherwise (all of them) and a substantial non-violence campaing in the West Bank could have gotten the Israelis to withdraw from MOST of the West Bank. Negotiations could have established what goods and people movements through Israel woudl be allowed, what work permits, etc. Things that the nascent Palestinian state would need for its survival (becuase as noted, the rest of the Arab world NOT really have provided much aid),
BUT (some very big buts)
a) That would be the maximum the Palestinains could get going down that road.
b) Even a tiny minority of Palestinians intent on fighting on for more could screw this up becuase ANY attacks would close down the border. There is no way the rest of the Palestinians COULD prevent that, even if they were willing to fight a civil war (the Israelis MIGHT accept a "clearly best effort" to put down the attacks).
In other words, the Palestinians are screwed not because they are making unwise decisions but because humans in this situation are trapped by the situation. Continued occupation and raids is NOT as bad as civil war.
Dear Rabbi
Yes your people could have done the same - as my country shure the heck has givien you enough of our taxes - instead of flying Russian Jews in why not take care of your own back yard. Rabbi's in glass houses...
Yes your people could have done the same - as my country shure the heck has givien you enough of our taxes - instead of flying Russian Jews in why not take care of your own back yard. Rabbi's in glass houses...
What is the real purpose of this article being posted on the google news page. This is a completely bias article! Israel completely withdrew from Gaza almost a year agol. The Arabs were given a green house industry which they immediately looted. The Arabs insisted that Jewish communities and infrastructure be destroyed. How dare you run this article which claims that Israel is still responsible for the Arabs of Gaza! Why does this article conveniently omit Egypt's responsibility for Gaza. The history of Gaza is the following:
As part of the 1949 armistice agreement between Israel and Egypt (Note: armistice as Eygpt refused to sign a formal peace treaty with Israel at the time), an area later named the Gaza Strip was handed over to Egypt. Very few people lived in this area so it was closed off like a prison and Arabs who fled Israel and fled Israel under orders of Arabs (it is well documented that Jews encourage their Arab neighbors to stay and not leave) were dumped in Gaza by the Egyptians. They were not given Egyptian citizenship and treated as sub-citizens by the Cairo Government. As a resulte of the Egyptian-Israeli Peace Talks at Camp David in 1978, Israel returned all captured territory to Egyptian, every last grain of sand, except for the Gaza Strip. Why? Because Egypt didn't want their Arab brothers from Gaza.
After Israel withdrew from Gaza last year, a border crossing was opened between Egpyt and Gaza permitting the free flow of people and goods without any Israel control, something your one sided article omitted. How did the Palestinians deal with this new freedom? Instead of appreciating the industry Israel left behind which they mostly destroyed; instead of developing a nation to better their people, i.e., construction of homes, schools, hospitals, factories, they concentrated on smuggling in weapons from Egypt.
Your one sided article also conveniently forgot to ask one important question:
What happened to the billions of western aid given to the Palestinians since the Olso Agreement of 1993? Isn't it true that when Arafat died in 2004, he was worth over 20 Billion U.S. Dollars?
Google Editors, you should be ashamed of yourself for running such a biased article!
Israel bashing is really a form of anti-semitism!
Why doesn't google run articles on the following topics:
"Unequal rights of women in the Islamic World"
"Lack of freedom of speech in Syria"
"Christians attacked in Egypt"
"Press censorship in Iran"
As part of the 1949 armistice agreement between Israel and Egypt (Note: armistice as Eygpt refused to sign a formal peace treaty with Israel at the time), an area later named the Gaza Strip was handed over to Egypt. Very few people lived in this area so it was closed off like a prison and Arabs who fled Israel and fled Israel under orders of Arabs (it is well documented that Jews encourage their Arab neighbors to stay and not leave) were dumped in Gaza by the Egyptians. They were not given Egyptian citizenship and treated as sub-citizens by the Cairo Government. As a resulte of the Egyptian-Israeli Peace Talks at Camp David in 1978, Israel returned all captured territory to Egyptian, every last grain of sand, except for the Gaza Strip. Why? Because Egypt didn't want their Arab brothers from Gaza.
After Israel withdrew from Gaza last year, a border crossing was opened between Egpyt and Gaza permitting the free flow of people and goods without any Israel control, something your one sided article omitted. How did the Palestinians deal with this new freedom? Instead of appreciating the industry Israel left behind which they mostly destroyed; instead of developing a nation to better their people, i.e., construction of homes, schools, hospitals, factories, they concentrated on smuggling in weapons from Egypt.
Your one sided article also conveniently forgot to ask one important question:
What happened to the billions of western aid given to the Palestinians since the Olso Agreement of 1993? Isn't it true that when Arafat died in 2004, he was worth over 20 Billion U.S. Dollars?
Google Editors, you should be ashamed of yourself for running such a biased article!
Israel bashing is really a form of anti-semitism!
Why doesn't google run articles on the following topics:
"Unequal rights of women in the Islamic World"
"Lack of freedom of speech in Syria"
"Christians attacked in Egypt"
"Press censorship in Iran"
Two brothers, three year-old Muhammad Taluzi and seven-year-old Rabiya Taluzi, were killed on Wednesday evening when several Katyusha rockets fell on the Arab Israeli town of Nazareth.
At least nine people were wounded from shrapnel, while 28 others were evacuated to hospital for shock. A number of wounded were evacuated to the city's Italian and English hospitals.
A Mazda automotive repair shop was hit along with a three-story residential building, both in the densely-populated Arab neighborhoods of lower Nazareth.
At least nine people were wounded from shrapnel, while 28 others were evacuated to hospital for shock. A number of wounded were evacuated to the city's Italian and English hospitals.
A Mazda automotive repair shop was hit along with a three-story residential building, both in the densely-populated Arab neighborhoods of lower Nazareth.
The only part left out of this article is the fact that while Palestinian groups agreed to and maintained a cease fire, the Israeli regime refused to stop attacking Palestinians and it was only due to Israel's continual acts of terrorism against the Palestinians that invited the rockets that were fired back in retaliation at the Israeli regime. Many are trying to blame the Palestinians for inciting the violence, but it was the Israeli regime that continued to attack and kill Palestinian civilians that re-ignited the conflict. The Israeli regime must end its occupation and release the Palestinians from the oppression that they have imposed over the last 39 years if peace is ever to have a chance.
Dear writer - so if Israel does anything wrong - NO ONE can say anything - pull your head out. Israel is NOT Jews - anti-semitism is against Jews not nation states - what a whinner... {: P
As Dr. Johnson should well know: to critcize specific policies of Israel's government is NOT anti-Semitism. On the other hand, to deny the legitimacy of a tiny Jewish state while affirming the legitimacy of 22 Arab/Islamic states where Jew have no rights at all in a land mass thousands of times that of tiny Israel --that is -- make no mistake -- anti-Semitism!
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