The human rights community’s consensus: Israel is committing war crimes in Gaza

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

http://mondoweiss.net/2014/07/communitys-consensus-committing.html

When the Israeli military wages assaults on Gaza, their spokesmen, former officials and sympathetic journalists blanket the airwaves to justify their military policies as targeted and precise. But during this attack on Gaza–and previous assaults–a consensus among human rights groups has emerged: Israel is committing war crimes in strikes that are wiping out civilians.

Since the start of Israel’s “Operation Protective Edge,” Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and United Nations officials–the heavyweights when it comes to interpreting international law–have all issued reports and statements slamming Israel for violations of international law. Those organizations have also said Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups firing rockets are committing war crimes since their volleys are indiscriminately aimed at Israeli civilians.

Israeli spokespeople have pointed to a number of military policies they say are aligned with international law to deflect criticism from the growing civilian death toll in Gaza, which is at 164, according to the UN. One policy frequently cited is the so-called “knock on the roof,” when Israel launches a less-lethal projectile to warn the inhabitants of a home in Gaza that they are about to be attacked with munitions. Another policy Israel says is justified is attacks on the homes of Palestinian militants, with Israeli spokespeople claiming that homes store armaments in them.
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But human rights organizations have dismissed many of Israel’s claims. In response to Israel’s “roof knocking” and warning policies, Amnesty International’s Philip Luther, the Director of the Middle East and North Africa Programme, said that “There is no way that firing a missile at a civilian home can constitute an effective ‘warning’. Amnesty International has documented cases of civilians killed or injured by such missiles in previous Israeli military operations on the Gaza Strip.” In addition, some accounts from Palestinians in Gaza indicate that families “warned” of an airstrike were not given enough time to evacuate–or that there was no warning at all.

[HooptieWagon]

1. Not to mention intentionally shelling a hospital,

with patients still inside, and destroying it. And the intentional targeting of a recreational beach, killing 4 young boys. This is genocide.

[PDJane]

2. yes.

[hrmjustin]

3. Shelling a hospital is criminal.

[oldandhappy]

5. We've all let Israel get away with murder for long enough.

I have recently gone from being proIsrael to being moderate, to being totally pissed off and angry about murder. Hope that is clear enough!