Compilation of International Law Violations During the Israeli-Gaza War

[Hoplite]

Amnesty International
Document - Israel/Occupied Palestinian Territories: The conflict in Gaza: A briefing on applicable law, investigations and accountability | Amnesty International

Amnesty International has compiled a report on various Israeli violations during the invasion. This includes reports on the use of human shields by Israeli soldiers, the use of weapons in populated civilian areas (including cluster and white phosphorous munitions), destroying prohibited civilian structures, and firing indiscriminately on civilians.

The report also details the deliberate attacks against Gaza police, which is in violation of international law. Israel has not denied this particular allegation and has stated that it considers Gaza "enemy territory" and thus police stations are legitimate targets. The Goldstone Report did conclude that some police were members of militant groups and did fire on Israeli soldiers, however there has been no basis for firing on as many police officers or attacking police stations.

The report also details deliberate destruction of Palestinian property, something forbidden by the Geneva Convention.




BBC, March 24th 2009
BBC NEWS | Middle East | Israel army 'used human shields'
The BBC report details sections of a UN report detailing the use of children as bullet shields by Israeli soldiers.


Guardian
Gaza war crimes investigation: Guardian uncovers evidence of alleged Israeli war crimes in Gaza | World news | guardian.co.uk
Film shot by Guardian cameramen and other reports indicates Israeli soldiers use of Palestinian civilians as bullet shields including testimony from a family who claim they were seized at gunpoint and used by Israeli soldiers for protection.


New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/09/world/middleeast/09redcross.html
This is a report detailing how several Palestinians were found dead or dying of gunshot wounds after a team of Israeli soldiers had moved through the neighborhood. Many were too weak to stand and others died from lack of medical attention, a violation of international law.


Guardian
Under attack: how medics died trying to help Gaza's casualties | World news | guardian.co.uk
This report details how medics and medical aid staff attempting to help Palestinian casualties have been deliberately targeted by Israeli soldiers. The attack left 16 medics dead. Nearly all of them were killed by Israeli fire and many more were wounded. According to the World Health Organisation, more than half of Gaza's 27 hospitals were damaged by Israeli bombs. Two clinics were completely destroyed and 44 others received damage.

Ynet
http://www.ynet.co.il/english/Ext/Comp/ArticleLayout/CdaArticlePrintPreview/1,2506,L-3739125,00.html
This is a report detailing several unmanned drone strikes that killed dozens of Palestinian civilians. One fired on a bus with students, killing 12 of them.


Reuters
UN report accuses Israel of recklessness in Gaza | Reuters
This report details attacks on United Nations buildings and vehicles, something expressly forbidden by international law. The attacks include the attack on the Al-Fakhura school that killed almost 40 civilians.



An Amnesty International report states that 1,400 fatalities is accurate and that, in addition to some 300 children, 115 women and 85 men aged over 50, some 200 men aged less than 50 were unarmed civilians who took no part in the hostilities. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/02_07_09_gaza_report.pdf

And, shockingly, the IDF estimates far fewer civilian casualties than anyone else. On top of this, several Israeli soldiers have come foreward detailing an almost total disregard for the treatment of Palestinians by Israeli soldiers.
BBC NEWS | Middle East | Israel troops admit Gaza abuses
http://www.shovrimshtika.org/oferet/ENGLISH_oferet.pdf

Israel responded to these accusations by claiming the report was funded by "several European governments."
Breaking the Silence funded by British and Dutch embassies, | International News | Jerusalem Post


It is acknowledged that Hamas was doing everything in it's power to blend in with civilians, however I dont see that that excuses the kind of brutality that the IDF levied on the Palestinians. The invasion was revenge, pure and simple.

Since 2001, 23 Israeli civilians have been killed by over 5,000 rockets launched into Israel by Hamas. The Palestinian dead number just under a thousand.

 

[Real Korimyr #9]

The report also details the deliberate attacks against Gaza police, which is in violation of international law. Israel has not denied this particular allegation and has stated that it considers Gaza "enemy territory" and thus police stations are legitimate targets. The Goldstone Report did conclude that some police were members of militant groups and did fire on Israeli soldiers, however there has been no basis for firing on as many police officers or attacking police stations.

If there are militants among the police and they are using the police stations to coordinate or stage attacks against Israeli assets, those police stations are fair game. The idea that certain structures should be off-limits for military strikes is-- or at least should be-- contingent upon those structures not being used for military purposes.

The report also details deliberate destruction of Palestinian property, something forbidden by the Geneva Convention.

Does it also forbid killing people? Because I have a hard time picturing a war in which the primary objectives were not to kill people and break stuff.

It is acknowledged that Hamas was doing everything in it's power to blend in with civilians, however I dont see that that excuses the kind of brutality that the IDF levied on the Palestinians. The invasion was revenge, pure and simple.

If Hamas is doing everything in its power to blend in with civilians, how do you expect Israel to wage war effectively against them without massive civilian casualties? The brutality that you describe seems to be no different than the brutality that the Allies employed against the Axis in World War II, and an expected part of any war, especially a decades-long war against insurgents.

Since 2001, 23 Israeli civilians have been killed by over 5,000 rockets launched into Israel by Hamas. The Palestinian dead number just under a thousand.

Better technology and better organization. Israeli strikes are simply more effective.

 

[Hicup]

Hehe, this thread is a complete waste of space! Amnesty International is a JOKE! With a capital J ..!

Let me educate you for a second. In Israel (Been there numerous times) Arabs that are Israeli citizens are treated as full equals, period! Arabs also have representation in the Israeli Knessett. Link

In Israel, Arabs own businesses, share in religious expression duly repected, fully integrated in education, and all aspects of society! Guess what? They are allowed without infingement to practice their religions.. Oh the horror!

As a Jew by birth, although not a pacticing one, I would like to fully disclose my in-built bias, but regardless of my heritage, what I say here is the incontrovertible truth.


Tim-

 

[Deuce]

Hehe, this thread is a complete waste of space! Amnesty International is a JOKE! With a capital J ..!

Let me educate you for a second. In Israel (Been there numerous times) Arabs that are Israeli citizens are treated as full equals, period! Arabs also have representation in the Israeli Knessett. Link

In Israel, Arabs own businesses, share in religious expression duly repected, fully integrated in education, and all aspects of society! Guess what? They are allowed without infingement to practice their religions.. Oh the horror!

As a Jew by birth, although not a pacticing one, I would like to fully disclose my in-built bias, but regardless of my heritage, what I say here is the incontrovertible truth.


Tim-

That all sounds great. Unless you live in Gaza.

 

[Hoplite]

If there are militants among the police and they are using the police stations to coordinate or stage attacks against Israeli assets, those police stations are fair game. The idea that certain structures should be off-limits for military strikes is-- or at least should be-- contingent upon those structures not being used for military purposes.

Is there any third party evidence to suggest that the police stations targeted were used for said purposes?

Does it also forbid killing people? Because I have a hard time picturing a war in which the primary objectives were not to kill people and break stuff.

The law forbids deliberate destruction of non-military targets, basically wrecking **** for the sake of wrecking ****, which is what the Israelis did.

If Hamas is doing everything in its power to blend in with civilians, how do you expect Israel to wage war effectively against them without massive civilian casualties? The brutality that you describe seems to be no different than the brutality that the Allies employed against the Axis in World War II, and an expected part of any war, especially a decades-long war against insurgents.

I'd expect Israel to have more tactical sense than to play right into Hamas' strategy with a ground offensive. Anyone familiar with any form of military history can tell you that an operation like Cast Lead virtually never works and this is a fact that should have been well known to Israel who has a long experience of fighting such groups.

Better technology and better organization. Israeli strikes are simply more effective.

Effective or not, killing almost a thousand civilians to avenge the death of 23 people?

 

[Real Korimyr #9]

Effective or not, killing almost a thousand civilians to avenge the death of 23 people?

When someone hits you in the nose, you don't hit him back, you hit him until he stays down.

How many Afghans died for our 3,000?

 

[Hoplite]

When someone hits you in the nose, you don't hit him back, you hit him until he stays down.

How many Afghans died for our 3,000?

That is not an acceptable way to conduct national affairs.

 

[Goshin]

That is not an acceptable way to conduct national affairs.

War is killing large numbers of the enemy, and destroying his means to make war (including infrastructure) until he submits.

My only complaint against Israel is they've been *****-footing around too much and need to get serious.

 

[Hoplite]

War is killing large numbers of the enemy, and destroying his means to make war (including infrastructure) until he submits.

My only complaint against Israel is they've been *****-footing around too much and need to get serious.

War is not bombing hospitals and shooting civilians.

I do not oppose armed conflict, but what Israel did was not armed conflict.

 

[dontworrybehappy]

War is not bombing hospitals and shooting civilians.

I do not oppose armed conflict, but what Israel did was not armed conflict.

Well if you have a better idea on how to fight an enemy entrenched within a civilian population, I'm sure the Israelis would love to hear it! :2wave:

 

[CaptainCourtesy]

I always like the quote from US Grant when it comes to waging war:

The art of war is simple enough. Find out where your enemy is. Get at him as soon as you can. Strike him as hard as you can, and keep moving on.

 

[Hoplite]

Well if you have a better idea on how to fight an enemy entrenched within a civilian population, I'm sure the Israelis would love to hear it! :2wave:

Yeah, dont.

First off, do not engage with ground forces. Irregular forces tend to do very well against conventional forces, especially on home ground. If you MUST use military force to hit a target, use special forces for a quick-strike quick-return surgical attack to minimize civilian casualties deploying artillery only when absolutely necessary.

Second, and most importantly, engage in MEANINGFUL diplomatic relations with the Palestinians and that includes stopping further settlements. Palestinians are just as tired of the fighting as the Israelis are. Israel needs to be able and willing to show they are willing to truly compromise. Lifting the blockade is also a good idea. This cuts the legs of the fundamentalists out from under them because they can no longer validly claim that Israel is trying to drive the Palestinians out and works against the Gazan's animosity towards Israel.

 

[Deuce]

I always like the quote from US Grant when it comes to waging war:

"**** civilians, blow up everything because the enemy is probably in there somewhere. They deserve it because they live in the same geographic area as some people who attacked us."

-DP Posters, 2010.

 

[CaptainCourtesy]

"**** civilians, blow up everything because the enemy is probably in there somewhere. They deserve it because they live in the same geographic area as some people who attacked us."

-DP Posters, 2010.

I suppose if you do not want to have harm come to you, perhaps it might be a real good idea to stand up to your terrorist government who is causing this whole problem, and either get them to stop, or oust them. That way, Israel will have no reason to respond to your government's attacks.

Some of these solutions are so simple.

 

[Deuce]

I suppose if you do not want to have harm come to you, perhaps it might be a real good idea to stand up to your terrorist government who is causing this whole problem, and either get them to stop, or oust them. That way, Israel will have no reason to respond to your government's attacks.

Some of these solutions are so simple.

Gun control is too strict around those parts. They need a 2nd amendment!

Also, it would be sweet if we could get North Korea in on this plan too.

 

[Goshin]

Yeah, dont.

First off, do not engage with ground forces. Irregular forces tend to do very well against conventional forces, especially on home ground. If you MUST use military force to hit a target, use special forces for a quick-strike quick-return surgical attack to minimize civilian casualties deploying artillery only when absolutely necessary.

Second, and most importantly, engage in MEANINGFUL diplomatic relations with the Palestinians and that includes stopping further settlements. Palestinians are just as tired of the fighting as the Israelis are. Israel needs to be able and willing to show they are willing to truly compromise. Lifting the blockade is also a good idea. This cuts the legs of the fundamentalists out from under them because they can no longer validly claim that Israel is trying to drive the Palestinians out and works against the Gazan's animosity towards Israel.

That only works if both sides want to coexist peacefully.

The Pali leadership consists of a terrorist organization that refuses to recognize Israel's existence as legitimate and has called many times for its destruction.

Not much of a basis on which to start negotiations.

Imagine if Israel said "Fine, if you want to fight until one of us no longer exists, let's go... no more restraint, total war until it is over."

Oh, the anti-Israel types would howl to the moon in outrage... but it isn't any different when the Pali's and Iranians say it, really.

You can't make peace with someone whose definition of peace is "everyone who disagrees with me is dead."

 

[Real Korimyr #9]

That only works if both sides want to coexist peacefully.

It baffles me that people do not seem to get this. From my perspective, it is clear that neither side is particularly interested in peace. They both engage in behaviors whose only possible consequence will be the perpetuation and intensification of the conflict. As long as they have war in their hearts, it is not just a matter of peace being impossible, it is a matter of it being undesirable; they should make war, and they should be allowed to make war, until they are weary enough of it that they come to peaceful terms on their own.

 

[Goshin]

It baffles me that people do not seem to get this. From my perspective, it is clear that neither side is particularly interested in peace. They both engage in behaviors whose only possible consequence will be the perpetuation and intensification of the conflict. As long as they have war in their hearts, it is not just a matter of peace being impossible, it is a matter of it being undesirable; they should make war, and they should be allowed to make war, until they are weary enough of it that they come to peaceful terms on their own.

Let the cats of Kilkenny have their day, then.

There once were two cats of Kilkenny,
and each thought that was one cat too many.
So they scratched and they spit,
they tore and they bit,
now instead of two cats there aren't any.

Of course in this case one cat has much bigger claws. Israel would win that fight, if they fought in total-war fashion, and dictate the terms of peace. That would likely provoke military action by their neighbors, even though you'd think those neighbors had learned that Israel can kick the crap out of the lot of them wholesale. People worry this would bring others into the conflict, like Iran, and that the big backers (US on one side, Russia and China on the other) might come into conflict over the wars of their allies. Personally I don't think Russia and China are in any great hurry to start an actual war with the US over any of their middle-eastern customers, er allies heh, but I could be wrong.

What you say has merit. Israel fought multiple wars with Egypt, Jordan, Syria and so on between 1948 and the 1970's, and finally Egypt, Jordan, Syria et al realized that they couldn't win and grudgingly accepted an uneasy peace. They haven't attacked Israel for nearly forty years.

The Izzy/Pali situation could perhaps be subject to that kind of resolution. Kill everyone who wants to fight until those who are left don't want to fight anymore. It's harsh and ugly (aka "war") but at least it is decisive.

 

[Naztorator]

Israel has been harassing Palestinians ever since Israel was created by Zionists.
It has continuously committed atrocities, daily humiliations, land confiscation, ethnic cleansing, and other war crimes against Palestinian people.
Israeli politicians have continuously showed that they do not want to make any agreements with Palestinians unless the agreement would pretty much involve Palestinians to just leave and accept Zionist domination of Palestine.

So why is it surprising some people are going to shoot rockets into Israel, the state which was made through the destruction of another people?
Israel has been conducting terrorism ever since its creation and so when it sees people act back against it it somehow thinks its a victim.

Shooting rockets into a stronger country isn't a good idea, but they were mostly acts of revenge against Israel.
The way Israel even responded was just straight out over violent and I'm shocked to see people think the war crimes it committed are justified. If another country did the same thing, people wouldn't think the same way.

Also, there isn't proof that all the targets of Israel were linked to rocket firing.
Sometimes there were soldiers just retaliating against Israeli presence, and so going through the effort of killing mostly civilians to just target the soldiers just responding to Israeli presence isn't justified.

Israel wanted more than just getting rid of people that were acting in revenge against it.
It wanted to strike terror into the general Palestinian population.

 

[Infinite Chaos]

Israel has been harassing Palestinians ever since Israel was created by Zionists.
It has continuously committed atrocities, daily humiliations, land confiscation, ethnic cleansing, and other war crimes against Palestinian people.
Israeli politicians have continuously showed that they do not want to make any agreements with Palestinians unless the agreement would pretty much involve Palestinians to just leave and accept Zionist domination of Palestine.

Would be interested in any genuine proof of the emboldened part of your statement. :2wave:

 

[Serenity]

Would be interested in any genuine proof of the emboldened part of your statement. :2wave:

I see he is a new poster. Rather than address the comments he made i'd like to ask what he thinks the Palestinians should do to help work towards a just and fair peace for everyone in Israel and the Palestinian Territories without mentioning Israel in his reply. It's a good way to judge if you are going to be able to have a reasonable conversation with someone regarding I/P. You have to be able to look at the big picture without just blaming one side for everything. It's not that simple.

 

[Redress]

Moderator's Warning:

Do not bump up old threads to circumvent Martial Law or the requirement to keep IP issues in the ME forum