UN rights council to form commission of inquiry over Israeli 'war crimes' in Gaza

[shira]

The United Nations Human Rights Council on Wednesday launched a commission of inquirty over alleged Israeli war crimes in its current Gaza offensive, backing Palestinian efforts to have Israel held up to international scrutiny. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office fiercely condemned the UN council's decision as a "travesty and should be rejected by decent people everywhere."

Meeting in Geneva, the 46-member council backed a Palestinian-drafted resolution by 29 votes, with supports from Arab and Muslim countries, China, Russia, Latin American and African nations. The United States was the only member to vote against the resolution, while European countries abstained. The last such investigation faced by Israel was the so-called Goldstone Committee, which harshly criticized Israel's conduct during its 2008 hostilies with Hamas in Gaza.

Netanyahu's office blasted the rights council for placing its criticism in the wrong place, investigating Israel rather than Hamas and "sending a message to Hamas" that the use of human shields is effective strategy." "The decision today by the HRC is a travesty and should be rejected by decent people everywhere," Netanyahu's office said in a statement released immediately after the council's decision. "Rather than investigate Hamas, which is committing a double war crime by firing rockets at Israeli civilians while hiding behind Palestinian civilians, the HRC calls for an investigation of Israel, which has gone to unprecedented lengths to keep Palestinian civilians out of harm's way, including by dropping leaflets, making phone calls and sending text messages."

[font color = "red"]"The HRC should be launching an investigation into Hamas's decision to turn hospitals into military command centers, use schools as weapons depots and place missile batteries next to playgrounds, private homes and mosques," Netanyahu's office added. [/font] "By failing to condemn Hamas's systematic use of human shields and by blaming Israel for the deaths that are caused by this grotesque human shields policy, the HRC is sending a message to Hamas and terror organizations everywhere that using civilians as human shields is an effective strategy," Netanyahu's office added.

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/.premium-1.606860

Failure to acknowledge and condemn Hamas' war crimes against its own people in this conflict is a huge scandal, and above all else...EVIL. As is the attempt to criminalize Israel's right to self-defense.



Not surprising, given the 29 authoritarian or fascist countries that voted YES as opposed to the 18 free nations/democracies who didn't support it.

-------------------

Lastly, if Israel is condemned for defending itself against a terror onslaught launched from territory Israel vacated, why on earth would anyone expect Israel to risk its security by vacating more territory?

[HooptieWagon]

1. Israel bombs 8-story building where it urged Palestinian civilians to shelter.

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2014/07/22/world/middleeast/questions-about-tactics-and-targets-as-civilian-toll-climbs-in-israeli-strikes.html?_r=1&referrer=

Looks like a war crime to me, along with all the others... destroying hospitals, targeting children on a beach. Hopefully, those monsters who are responsible will stand trial in an internatiinal court.

[4now]

3. collective punishment is a war crime.

[shira]

10. Not to the UN. They're not interested in investigating Hamas' rockets....

....nor their victimization of Palestinian civilians who they are using as shields to maximize casualties.

[azurnoir]

21. ***cough***

The U.N.'s top human rights official has told diplomats that Israel's military and Hamas militants appear to have violated international humanitarian law and might have committed war crimes during their two-week war in the Gaza Strip.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/un-human-rights-chief-israel-gaza-war-crimes

[shira]

24. EU abstained b/c this doesn't call for inquiry/condemnation of Hamas rockets.

Not to mention Hamas' gross war crimes against its own civilian population, that its supporters deny.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

29. azurnoir just proved your useless comment to be...well useless and

a complete fabrication. So what do you do? Instead of acknowledging that you either weren't being honest or were just talking out of you backside you attempt to squirm to a different topic.

How very, very you.

[shira]

31. She's wrong. Read the resolution yourself. Find Hamas if you can...

http://blog.unwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/Resolutions-and-voting-sheet-from-S-21-Gaza-UNHRC.pdf

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

33. Pssst, hey shia. You're trying to squirm your way out again.

I don't download Hyper-Israel pdfs.

[shira]

42. So find your own copy of the resolution. Show me "Hamas" or "Rockets". n/t

[azurnoir]

39. Item # 3 which state attacks on ALL civilians n/t

[shira]

41. Weird. No mention of Hamas whatsoever, eh? n/t

[azurnoir]

45. and what do you think ALL ivilains means? n/t

[shira]

46. How is it possible for such a wonderful and balanced inquiry....

....to not include "Hamas", "Rockets", or anything related to human shielding?

That's rhetorical.

[sabbat hunter]

40. the document was written up by

the PA, and does not condemn Hamas.

Here is a source that you will probably accept on it. No where does it condemn Hamas

http://www.aljazeera.com/humanrights/2014/07/un-investigate-israel-offensive-gaza-201472316293283952.html

[azurnoir]

36. Here is really why

In spite of the abstention by Ireland and a number of other European countries, there was a sizeable vote in favour of the Palestinian- drafted resolution. The US voted against.

The EU said the proposed inquiry would not, in its view, provide a “sufficiently rapid response to the urgent situation on the ground”.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/world/abstention-on-gaza-vote-slated-276486.html

[shira]

11. How do u know it's malicious intent? As to hospitals, Hamas HQ are in Shifa...

...and rockets have been fired from Al-Wafa hospital, so how do you surmise Israel is guilty of war crimes given what they're facing in Gaza?

OTOH, we know Hamas is committing flagrant war crimes with its rockets and its human shielding. There's no question about the intent. But these obvious crimes against humanity aren't being investigated.

[HooptieWagon]

12. Well, its possible that IDF artillery forces are...

.... as big a bunch of drunken incompetents as the Ukrainian rebel forces who shot down a civilian airliner are, but I doubt it.

[shira]

14. Mistakes happen in every war. The US, UK, NATO all make mistakes...

...but they don't get investigated despite Israel's superior record of safeguarding civilians.

[HooptieWagon]

16. True. Israel "mistakenly" attacked the USS Liberty...

... in 1967, in broad daylight. The ship was flying a HUGE American flag, and marked with US Navy numbers. Oh, and after the initial attack, who afterward identified the ship as American, Israel followed up with additional attacks. Wow.
Perhaps you're right, maybe the IDF is grossly incompetent, and prone to repeated "mistakes". In that case, we should take away the weapons we gave them, and treat them like Barney Fife.

[shira]

18. Again, Israel's record WRT civilians is superior to the US, UK....

....and NATO over the past 2 decades. If Israel is incompetent and prone to mistakes, what does that make other Western powers?

Genocidal in comparison?

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

30. Ham-handed murder is still murder, shira...no matter how you spin for it.

[shira]

32. Israel's record with civilians the past 2 decades is better...

...than that of any other nation. And yet it is the only nation the UNHRC is investigating twice within the last 5 years. Why?

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

35. How many Palestinians has Israel now killed in cold blood, shira?

It must be terribly hard for you knowing most of what you post is pure d-grade manure.

[shira]

43. You denying, excusing, or condemning Hamas' war crimes vs. Gazans? n/t

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

58. No, poor shira. I don't excuse.

So how many Palestinians has Israel killed in cold blood so far?

[shira]

59. So that leaves denial or condemnation. Which is it? n/t

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

60. How many Palestinians has Israel killed, shria?

I keep asking you that and you keep running from it.

[shira]

61. Answer me first. Are you denying or condemning Hamas….

….for trying to maximize Palestinian civilian casualties?

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

62. No. Stop treading water. You answer.

How many Palestinians has Israel killed in cold blood?

Do you call. Them terrorists?

[shira]

63. Israel doesn't intentionally target civilians to murder them.

Their efforts show they safeguard civilians in wartime more than any other nation, with phone calls, leaflets, text messages, etc.

You have no proof Israel acts out of malice to intentionally kill innocents. In fact, the 2008-09 war proves my point as Mr. Goldstone took back his accusation that Israel intentionally targeted civilians. The 1:1 civilian to combatant ratio is better than any other nation on the planet, in the history of warfare. That's a fact.

So until you show me evidence of deliberate Israeli malice, you've got nothing.

==============

Now answer me. No running away.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

64. I asked you how many have they murdered.

You keep treading water. Too bad it's not an Olympic event. You'd definitely win gold.

[shira]

65. You tell me since u think you know Israel's intent. Gimme a ballpark figure.

And you still haven't answered me.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

66. "32. Israel's record with civilians the past 2 decades is better..."

You're long on sound bites but woefully short on specifics or factual information.

[shira]

67. Shameful to deny/ignore Hamas war crime violations....

....against Palestinians. Quite pathetic actually.

It's anti-Palestinian.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

68. It's shameful to cheer for murderous IDF butchers.

Dontcha think?

[shira]

69. We know the intent of Hamas with their war crimes....

They admit it on video while you deny/ignore it.

Shameful.

Unless you have evidence the IDF has malicious intent WRT civilians, you're blowing smoke....

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

70. The IDF is respponsible for the hundreds of murdered Palestinian civilians, shira.

Or are they all terrorists to you?

[shira]

71. International Law states what Hamas is doing are grave breaches....

...big time war crimes and crimes against humanity. They are responsible.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

72. I guess you missed that UN vote today...

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-07-24/un-launches-probe-into-alleged-israeli-war-crimes-in-gaza/5619518
Gaza conflict: UN launches probe into possible Israeli war crimes, US votes against it

Bombing hospitals and murdering children is not the thing I would want to be remembered for if I was an Israeli.

[shira]

73. I know, you're loving that aren't you? Especially the part....

....that excludes any mention of Hamas, rockets, and tunnels. Gee, the world DEFINITELY won't be fooled into thinking Hamas is responsible or guilty of anything.

Then again, what else to expect about a resolution that garnered absolutely no support from any free, liberal democracies?

What a wonderful probe into war crimes this will be. I can't think of anything else happening in the world (Syria) that would warrant a similar investigation. This will definitely be time well spent because it's not as if the UN doesn't spend enough time being all concerned about Israel.

Real human rights activists will definitely be excited about this one. Victims suffering magnitudes greater around the world? They wish their enemies were the Zionists. Otherwise, they don't count.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

74. Israel is going to have its comeuppance, and the usual suspects

will be wondering what happened when Israel is left hold its ass in its hands.

[shira]

75. Yes, a victory for Hamas supporters worldwide. How wonderful. n/t

[4now]

2. The world is changing

Nobody is believing Netenyahu's lies this time.

[shira]

8. For the worse. Seems the world hasn't changed for the better since the 1940's. n/t

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

38. No, silly, for the better. Nobody believes the boy who cried wolf after he wasted

hundreds of Palestinians.

[shira]

44. No, it's worse. Nations supporting the resolution....

...happen to be among the world's worst human rights violators.

But that's your idea of human rights, correct?

[bravenak]

49. But the US and Israel didn't sign.

We have abused plenty of human rights ourselves. Maybe the reason the US doesn't sign is because of how our nation was founded, what WE did to our aborigines, what we did to people we shipped in to work for us, how we supported South Africa in their apartheid. I mean, we are no model of human rights lovers. We still profile black citizens, treat brown citizens like crap, make them carry papers like slaves on a pass from the plantation. Maybe we are so messed up ourselves that we need to take a cue from the rest of the world. Maybe. Maybe that's why we are scared to sign. Cause we are so dirty.

[kjones]

4. Yeeeeah

I don't think I'll be lectured about war crimes from someone who's response
to civilian casualties (Well, certain civilians.) is "Oops. Well they shouldn't
have been there."

No one here has failed to acknowledge that Hamas is using rockets that could, and
have, killed civilians. Pretty much the only people eager to assert that claim are
pro-Israeli propagandists.

Let it be unequivocally stated that killing civilians is wrong, no matter whose doing it.

But...you, and many others, continue to bring it up because, frankly, you don't....and
can NEVER...have a legitimate excuse or response for huge percentages of civilian
casualties. So you have to smoke screen atrocities with others. A disgusting sleight
of hand for someone who seems to have decided everyone is an enemy. Your
humanitarian disregard is duly noted.
The hypocrisy in this forum is astoundingly one sided. Some shriek of phantasmal support
for Hamas' indiscriminate warfare (which, on this site, I have yet to see. Again, if you find it,
tell me, I'll repudiate them. All in all, nobody thinks it's cool to lob missiles at random towards
cities.)...and yet refuse to see the IDF's lack of regard for civilians. You parrot the the talking
points that any sane person can see the intent of...namely, to use grotesque moral gymnastics
to attempt to justify killing civilians (willful, accidental, or otherwise).

I have NEVER excused Hamas' indiscriminate actions, you...and others, have repeatedly excused
Israel's.

[shira]

7. Israel's most hostile detractors deny Hamas' war crimes against Gazans....

Last edited Wed Jul 23, 2014, 06:59 PM - Edit history (1)

Using hospitals, schools, mosques, and homes for military purposes.....firing rockets from them, booby-trapping them, encouraging children to be human shields and militants, and more.... All this is done to maximize civilian casualties.

They're basically breaking every rule in the book. All the above are grave war crimes & there's no doubt they're happening.

The acceptance of Hamas' crimes against humanity (against Palestinian civilians) by Israel's haters who obviously could care less about Palestinians, gives them no right to lecture anyone about anything - ever again. Period.

This is pure evil.

[HooptieWagon]

13. Gazan hospitals have so much extra space...

... they can house rocket-firing militia?
Cool story, bro.

[shira]

15. Al Wafa and Al Shifa Hospitals are being used by Hamas militias

http://www.democraticunderground.com/113471416#post77

Start there.

In that thread, there's one example after the next re: Hamas' war crimes against its own people, gross anti-Palestinian violations that Israel's most hostile detractors find totally acceptable.

[HooptieWagon]

17. So you think instead of being crammed full of casualties...

... the hospitals are giving space to rocket-firing militia?
Cool story, bro.

[shira]

19. You think the media is making up stories about....

.....Hamas' use of hospitals for military purposes?

Nice denial.

While you're at it you may as well deny the earth is round, deny global warming, and deny 911.

[HooptieWagon]

20. No. I think Israel is making them up...

... and some media are reporting the lies. Does it make sense that hospitals, where dead bodies are piling up because the morgues are already full, have extra space for rocket militia, and allow them to use it? That strains all credibility. However, if you're going to continue making up cool stories, you might as well add some additional embellishment like the rocket militias are using the telegenic dead bodies for sandbags. After all, what does truth have to do with propaganda?

[shira]

22. It was confirmed by none other than a RT journo

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1134&pid=71956

He's taken a helluva lot of heat for reporting something Hamas wants censored:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1134&pid=71944

[HooptieWagon]

27. Ooohhh, confirmed by a RT "journalist"...

... and lots of circular blue links.
Color me unimpressed.

[shira]

28. Don't read the blue links if u don't want to be confused by facts. n/t

[azurnoir]

57. Here's some real facts

first off the human shields at al wafa hospital are or were international aide workers who volunteered to do this

American among volunteer human shields at Gaza hospital

A Gaza hospital director says foreign activists, including a US citizen, are working as human shields to try to protect patients in the facility from Israeli strikes.

Read more here: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2014/07/13/233190/american-among-volunteer-human.html#storylink=cpy

Now about Hamas firing from the hospital roof true they were except the hospital was abandoned almost a week ago after being intensively shelled by Israel

IDF destroys empty Gaza hospital being used as Hamas command center

http://www.jpost.com/Operation-Protective-Edge/IDF-determines-Gaza-hospital-empty-being-used-as-command-center-by-terrorists-368633

and here's why Harry Fear was told to delete his tweets

@ThisIsGaZa is @harryfear stil tweeting who survived and where like previous war, so IOF knows where to "finish the job"?

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

5. Good.

All the shizzle that Israel has done in the West Bank should be brought up as well!

I say again, fu@king awesome shira! Thanks for posting!

[azurnoir]

6. The only dissenting vote was the US n/t

[shira]

9. Almost all those in favor have the most atrocious human rights records...

....on the planet. And they voted in a resolution that doesn't mention Hamas' gross war crimes.

Congrats.

[azurnoir]

23. UNHRC statement

NAVI PILLAY, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said since Israel announced its military operation “Protective Edge” on 7 July, Gaza had been subjected to daily intensive bombardment from the air, land and sea, employing well over 2,100 air strikes alone. The hostilities had resulted in the deaths of more than 600 Palestinians, including at least 147 children and 74 women. As in the two previous crises in 2009 and 2012, it was innocent civilians in the Gaza Strip, including children, women, the elderly and persons with disabilities, who suffered the most. According to preliminary United Nations figures, around 74 per cent of those killed so far were civilians, and thousands more had been injured. Hundreds of homes and other civilian buildings, such as schools, had been destroyed or severely damaged in Gaza, and more than 140,000 Palestinians had been displaced. Two Israeli civilians had also lost their lives and between 17 and 32 others had been reported injured as a result of rockets and other projectiles fired from Gaza, and 27 Israeli soldiers had been killed during military operations in Gaza. The indiscriminate firing by Hamas and other armed groups of more than 2,900 rockets and mortars from Gaza continued to endanger the lives of civilians in Israel, and Ms. Pillay once again condemned such indiscriminate attacks. It was unacceptable to locate military assets in densely populated areas or to launch attacks from such areas. However, international law was clear - the actions of one party did not absolve the other party of the need to respect its obligations under international law.

http://www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=14895&LangID=E

[shira]

25. Goldstone 2 won't inquire about Hamas war crimes. EU abstained b/c of this. n/t

[azurnoir]

37. see comment 36

http://www.democraticunderground.com/113471996#post36

[shira]

26. Shocking admission of shielding by UN. From that paragraph...

Last edited Wed Jul 23, 2014, 09:27 PM - Edit history (1)

...Ms. Pillay once again condemned such indiscriminate attacks. It was unacceptable to locate military assets in densely populated areas or to launch attacks from such areas. However, international law was clear - the actions of one party did not absolve the other party of the need to respect its obligations under international law.

Heads will explode.

She didn't follow Hamas media guidelines. Hamas' supporters will not like this admission one bit.

[bravenak]

34. Oh good.

Both the IDF and Hamas should be convicted of war crimes in proportion to the amount of civilians they killed and the amount of weapons fired towards civilian areas.

[shira]

47. Hamas can't be convicted of anything. They're not even mentioned....

....in this farce of a resolution. No mention of rockets or anything to do with their human shields war crimes.

[bravenak]

48. So that should mean what exactly?

That Israel should start sending in highly trained swat units to get terrorist perpetrators or face war crimes for dropping bombs on civilian areas on people who have nowhere to flee to? That's what i think.

[Aerows]

51. I wish both sides would stop killing each other

and make no mistake, both sides are to blame. I couldn't care less which one is more responsible for killing.

[bravenak]

56. I would love that.

Both stop killing.

[IronGate]

50. Where the fuck were they when the terror org Hamas

was lobbing rockets into Israel?
What a bunch of fucking hypocrites.

[Aerows]

52. Can't the stronger force

which is Israel, quit the killing? Can't Palestinians quit the killing?

Both sides have a hand in this and I don't know a solution. All I know is that if you quit killing each other things can work themselves out.

[IronGate]

53. That would be the best solution all around,

and then, hopefully, a comprehensive peace treaty beneficial to all.

[Aerows]

54. All I know is that

the killing has to end. Maybe I'm naive but I hope for both sides to decide to stop taking vengeance on each other. It never ends well. Try justice for the actors that are doing the killing, and leave the need for vengeance at the door.

[IronGate]

55. I couldn't agree more. nt.

[rateyes]

76. Why is Bibi so concerned about an investigation

if he is not guilty? He should welcome it!

[shira]

77. How do u support an inquiry that doesn't mention Hamas, Rockets, Human Shields, etc.?

It's so blatantly one-sided and supportive of Hamas it's preposterous.

Of course it's supported by most of the world's worst human rights abusers. They voted for it at the UN while it was opposed by free democracies worldwide.

[rateyes]

78. When Israel puts up a resolution calling for an inquiry into Hamas, I will support it, too.

I find it very interesting that the EU abstained rather than voting no. Might as well have voted in favor of it, don't you think?