(Israeli) Airstrike Hits School Sheltering Gaza Civilians -- More War Crimes

[morningfog]

An apparent Israeli strike Thursday afternoon on a school sheltering Gaza residents who evacuated their homes killed and injured “multiple” people, according to the local director of the United Nations agency that is operating the shelter.

The Palestinian ministry of health in Gaza said 10 people had been killed and “a large number” wounded at the school in Beit Hanoun, in the northern Gaza Strip.

A spokesman for the Israeli military had no immediate information about the event and said he was looking into the matter.

This was the third time that shelters set up in schools have been struck during the current conflict. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency, which is helping Palestinians displaced by the conflict, said that more than 140,000 residents of Gaza were now staying in 83 schools where it runs shelters.

“We’re extremely concerned now that if this trend continues we will see a mass casualty event,” said Robert Turner, the director of Gaza operations for the agency, citing two incidents from the Gaza conflict in 2008-2009. In one, eight people were killed when a shelter was hit; in the other, 40 people were killed in a strike outside a school.

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/25/world/middleeast/despite-talk-of-a-cease-fire-no-lull-in-gaza-fighting.html

[2banon]

1. massacre after massacre.. but it's ok, cuz Israel is our friend and people in Gaza are animals.

This was the third time that shelters set up in schools have been struck during the current conflict. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency, which is helping Palestinians displaced by the conflict, said that more than 140,000 residents of Gaza were now staying in 83 schools where it runs shelters.

“We’re extremely concerned now that if this trend continues we will see a mass casualty event,” said Robert Turner, the director of Gaza operations for the agency, citing two incidents from the Gaza conflict in 2008-2009. In one, eight people were killed when a shelter was hit; in the other, 40 people were killed in a strike outside a school.

[Ichingcarpenter]

2. Israeli military claims Hamas rockets hit UN school

The Israeli military has told ITV News that Hamas rockets may have hit a school in Beit Hanoun where over a dozen fatalities have been reported.

A UN spokesman in Gaza earlier accused Israeli defence forces of attacking the school, despite having been given the exact co-ordinates of the facility.

ITV News Senior International Correspondent John Irvine reports:

http://www.itv.com/news/update/2014-07-24/israeli-military-claims-hamas-rockets-hit-un-school/?

Dozens feared dead as Israel shells UN shelter in Beit Hanoun


A spokesman for the UN's Palestine refugee agency UNRWA in Gaza Adnan Abu Hasana said on Thursday that they had received no warning before Israeli forces shelled a Beit Hanoun school that was serving as a shelter earlier in the afternoon.

The attack killed at least 17 and injured more than 200 of the displaced civilians who had taken shelter there, the fourth time in two days that Israeli forces have bombed schools serving as shelters in the besieged Gaza Strip.

The UNRWA spokesman said in a statement that the majority of the displaced people at the shelter were elderly people, women, and children.

"We told the army several times to warn us because we know that the school is located in a dangerous place. We told them to give us enough time so we can evacuate women and UNRWA team, but they did not."

UNRWA spokesman Chris Gunness tweeted in response to the attack that the "Precise co-ordinates of the UNRWA shelter in Beit Hanoun had been formally given to the Israeli army."

He added: "Over the course of the day, UNRWA tried 2 coordinate with the Israeli Army a window for civilians 2 leave & it was never granted."


http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=715952

[G_j]

3. Israeli shells kill at least 15 in UN school compound Gaza health official says

Gaza crisis: Israeli shells kill at least 15 in UN school compound
Gaza health official says dead and injured were among hundreds of people seeking shelter from heavy fighting

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jul/24/gaza-crisis-israeli-shells-kill-15-un-school-compound

[killbotfactory]

4. Here is a twitter feed from Dan Rivers, and ITV journalist who was at the scene

Dan Rivers @danieljerivers · 2h
UN tells us they gave coordinates of school to Israels. 800 mostly women and children using it as a shelter when rounds came in #Gaza

Warning: Graphic Pictures

https://twitter.com/danieljerivers

[ozone_man]

5. As civilian casualties rise in Gaza, UN Rights Council agrees probe into alleged ‘war crimes’

23 July 2014 – The United Nations Human Rights Council today decided to launch an independent inquiry into purported violations of international humanitarian and human rights laws in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem.

Meeting in an emergency session today, the Council adopted a resolution agreeing to send the investigative team by a vote of 29 countries in favour, with 17 abstentions and a sole negative vote by the United States, in which it strongly condemned the failure of Israel to end its prolonged occupation of the area.

The Council condemned in the strongest terms the “widespread, systematic and gross violations of international human rights and fundamental freedoms” arising from the Israeli military operations since 13 June, and called for an immediate ceasefire.

“The Council further condemned all violence against civilians wherever it occurred, including the killing of two Israeli civilians as a result of rocket fire,” according to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=48330#.U9ErE7GmU1I

The result of the vote was as follows:

In favour (29): Algeria, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, China, Congo, Costa Rica, Cote d'Ivoire, Cuba, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Maldives, Mexico, Morocco, Namibia, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Sierra Leone, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, Venezuela, and Viet Nam.

Against (1): United States of America.

Abstentions (17): Austria, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Gabon, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Montenegro, Republic of Korea, Romania, The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and United Kingdom.

http://www.ndtv.com/article/world/united-nations-human-rights-council-resolution-on-gaza-full-text-564074

No surprise that the sole negative vote was by the United States, or that European countries abstained. I guess they are under our thumb too.

[malaise]

6. Well with a ME Peace Envoy named Tony Blair

war crimes are apparently fashionable. Until he, Cheney, Bush et al are arrested, there appears to be no penalty for war crimes

[Capt. Obvious]

7. Friend of Hamas NY Times?

[Roy Serohz]

8. DUly RECommended

[progressoid]

9. You know what would end this?

Another aid package to Israel from the US. And maybe some more airpower.

[4now]

10. We continue to finance Israeli war crimes

[morningfog]

11. Israel bombed a UN school housing refugees of war.

Unacceptable war crime. All US funds should end.

[Uncle Joe]

12. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, morningfog.