PCHR Calls for Seriously Investigating the Circumstances of Internal Explosion in Rafah

[oberliner]

in Which 26 Persons Were Wounded, Including 17 Children

The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) calls upon the government in Gaza to seriously investigate the circumstances of an internal explosion, in which 16 persons were wounded, including 17 children, and 3 schools and a number of neighboring houses were damaged. The explosion occurred in a training site of the 'Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades (the armed wing of Hamas) in Rafah town in the southern Gaza Strip.

According to investigations conducted by PCHR and testimonies of eyewitnesses, at approximately 10:15 on Wednesday, 20 October 2010, three successive explosions took place in a training site of the 'Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas Movement, which is located in a densely populated area in Abu Baker al-Seddiq Street in Tal a-Sultan neighborhood in the west of Rafah. Before the explosions had taken place, the site caught fire, smoke billowed and some persons were seen fleeing from the place. The explosions left 26 injuries, including 17 school children, as the children were in front of and inside their schools. The wounded persons were transported to Martyr Mohammed Yousef al-Najjar Hospital in Rafah to receive necessary medical treatment.

http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900sid/JALR-8AFH2Z?OpenDocument

[LeftishBrit]

1. Very tragic. There should indeed be an investigation.

[shira]

2. And all along we were told Hamas doesn't use the Gazan population as a human shield.

That said, this is truly tragic.

Not that Israel's harshest critics who purport to care for Palestinians give a rip about Hamas being investigated for deliberately putting civilians at risk. After all, Israel recently released tons of intelligence proving Hezbollah was still up to doing the same thing in Southern Lebanon and, oddly enough, none of the major pro-Palestinian anti-Israel organizations have said a word about Hezbollah's cynical use of the Lebanese civilian population. It won't happen here either.

I wonder why?

What gives?

:eyes:

[azurnoir]

3. well you certainly do seem somehow satisfied with this incident

while you shed a few crocodile tears about the tragedy you gleefully grasp it as as a chance to seem to vindicate Israel

PCHR is very correct is call for an investigation as seen in this statement

1. Calls upon the government in Gaza to seriously investigate the circumstances of the explosion in Rafah and publish its results; and

2. Points to the seriousness of the continued storage of explosives by the Palestinian resistance groups in civilian-populated areas, which poses a constant threat to the lives of civilians, and constitutes a violation of human rights and international humanitarian law; accordingly, such behavior must be banned. Storing explosives in such a way becomes more serious under the IOF's public and continued threats to attack such sites.

I have my doubts that Hamas will take this with any seriousness though, but I can hope they will

however it should be noted that this happened yesterday and has little bearing on what happened 22 months ago

[shira]

4. Not at all, not when there's no call from "respected" human rights orgs to pressure Hamas to stop...

...using their civilians as shields. What's there to be satisfied about? This incident will be forgotten and once there's another war, the most sanctimonious organizations (the same ones who lie about starvation and a humanitarian crisis in Gaza) will defend Hamas and once again ignore all evidence that Hamas is trying to maximize Palestinian casualties. Thanks to Goldstone and company, Hamas knows it can continue to get away with this.

Goldstone RAWXXX, right?

:eyes:

The quicker the International community pressures Hamas to stop with this disgusting strategy, the quicker to real peace.

[hayu_lol]

5. We need to get the UN in immediately...

to investigate this explosion/s. Gonna be hard to blame the IDF for the big bang however.

HAMAS explosion at a HAMAS training site...right across the street from schools and houses.

[shira]

6. Yeah right, that'll happen.

No special sessions at the UN for this incident.

Only if Israel were responsible would the UN pretend to care.

The UN totally RAWXXXX!

:eyes:

[oberliner]

11. Did you notice the name of the hospital the wounded were sent to?

Martyr Mohammed Yousef al-Najjar Hospital in Rafah.

I wonder if people know who Mohammed Yousef al-Najjar was.

Anyone remember the Munich Olympics?

[azurnoir]

12. I do didn't Mossad execute him and his wife in their bed?

perhaps the victims should have been sent to Israel instead, oh wait

[oberliner]

13. Yes indeed

Do you think he is someone that should have a hospital named after him?

[azurnoir]

15. Should Yitzak Shamir have been PM? n/t

[oberliner]

17. Well I certainly wouldn't have voted for him

My question:

Do you think that Mohammed Yousef al-Najjar ought to have a hospital named after him?

[azurnoir]

18. I answered each side has those they deem worthy of recognition

regardless of what others think as for myself I do not believe either are deserving

[shira]

19. You do realize the difference between naming a hospital for Anwar Sadat vs. the Munich murderer? n/t

[azurnoir]

21. you do realize that a terrorist who commited murderwas made PM?

a bit more than having a hospital named after you

[shira]

22. Do you understand the difference between Sadat from 1973 and Sadat at Camp David? n/t

[azurnoir]

24. making asubject change? do you realize that Begin also was a terrorist Irgun

I believe but really that has nada to with anything being discussed

[shira]

27. It's the difference between an unrepentant terrorist and someone who has changed for the better.

[azurnoir]

31. or one who's social station has been raised n/t

[oberliner]

29. What would your reaction be to a Baruch Goldstein hospital in Israel?

Would you be making an argument that involved the fact that the Palestinians once had Arafat (a former terrorist) as its leader?

[azurnoir]

32. really I would not care much either way

however don't some Israeli's celebrate February 25 for something? Some are to said dress their kids up as someone

[oberliner]

34. Israelis celebrate February 25 for something? Dress their kids up?

What are you talking about?

They don't even use the Gregorian calendar.

[azurnoir]

35. so Israeli's use a different calender from the rest of the world

but still and nonetheless

The phenomenon of the adoration of Goldstein's tomb persisted for years, despite Israeli government efforts to crack down on those making pilgrimage to Goldstein's grave site.<16> The grave's epitaph said that Goldstein "gave his life for the people of Israel, its Torah and land".<23> In 1999, after the passing of Israeli legislation outlawing monuments to "terrorists," the Israeli army dismantled the shrine that had been built to Goldstein at the site of his interment.<23> In the years after the dismantling of the shrine, radical Jewish settlers continued to celebrate the anniversary of the massacre in the West Bank, sometimes even dressing up themselves or their children to look like Goldstein.<16><24>

In 2010, Jewish settlers were criticized that during celebrations of Purim they sang songs praising Baruch Goldstein's massacre demonstratively in front of their Arab neighbours. A phrase from the song reads "Dr. Goldstein, there is none other like you in the world. Dr. Goldstein, we all love you… he aimed at terrorists' heads, squeezed the trigger hard, and shot bullets, and shot, and shot."

This page was last modified on 20 October 2010 at 09:01.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baruch_Goldstein

I think the "terrorists being referred to here were worshiping in the mosque
Goldstein attacked

[oberliner]

36. Exactly

Certainly the insane orthodox settlers who might want to dress up as Baruch Goldstein would use the Hebrew calendar rather than the Gregorian one.

I promise you that this practice is not widely observed in Israel and that a proposal to build a Baruch Goldstein hospital would be met with contempt by the vast majority of the Israeli population.

[azurnoir]

37. but in the Hebrew calender it would not be possible

to get a commonly recognizable date as most do not know the calendar well and it's lunar so the date would change by a few days every year

[oberliner]

38. Everyone in Israel would know the calendar well

In many cases, better than any other.

[azurnoir]

39. But the comment was not written for an Israeli audience n/t

[ChairmanAgnostic]

30. not when Israel uses fake passports to

send assassins to foreign countries. Like here.

[azurnoir]

7. So you are in favor of the "international community" setting up

relations with Hamas?
As far I have so far read no one save PCHR has said anything about this incident but are saying that if they it will be in defense of Hams or that silence on this is the same as approval?

[hayu_lol]

8. I fail to see why one side has to blame the other...

for taking out buildings, schools, hospitals when it is obvious that HAMAS has no problems with storing explosives in an area near schools and homes.

Maybe that is why this site was never taken out...because of the protective shield of women and children.

Nothing to see or talk about here folks...just quietly move along.

[shira]

9. Azurnoir, why do you think PCHR is alone in condemning this and calling for an investigation?

And why does the International community have to set up relations with Hamas in order to condemn and criticize Hamas actions?

Where's Amnesty, HRW, the UN...?

No special sessions, no big press conferences, no one wringing their hands......just silence.

:shrug:

[azurnoir]

10. there has been very little said about the deaths caused by Israel's

recent bombings, shelling, and firing into Gaza either no special sessions at the UN nothing from HRW or AI does that mean they approve, according to your theory it does I mean why no hand wringing and very little on DU either but here with one incident we have 2 threads why is that?

[oberliner]

14. PCHR is unique in that regard

Kudos to them for their consistency.

[azurnoir]

16. there is that but there is also in the grand scheme of things

this as tragic as it is "small fish"

[shira]

20. If Israel could be blamed, you think this would be 'small fish' internationally? n/t

[azurnoir]

23. as I pointed out there have been a number of incidents lately where Israel

could be blamed that have been ignored

[shira]

25. An incident that harms so many children wouldn't be a big deal if Israel was behind it? n/t

[azurnoir]

26. we would have toi see wouldn't we?

are you feeling that Israel is being ignored or what ?

[shira]

28. Really? Since when has one Israeli attack that has harmed so many children been ignored?

[azurnoir]

33. ah but the operative word here is attack this was not an attack

it was more like an industrial accidence, but I'll give you that if a munitions plant in Israel blew up it would most likely make the news, but it would most likely also be a larger explosion too

still does not lessen the tragedy however

[ProgressiveProfessor]

40. Since no one else here has mentioned it, many in Gaza are blaming Israeli sabotage

Per a couple I know that live there. They are not taking it very seriously.

As for a munition accident in Israel, don't hold your breath. The safety protocols tend to be quite strict in such places.

[oberliner]

41. Many in Gaza still blame Israel for 9/11

In any case, why would your friends not take the incident very seriously? Numerous innocent children were injured. I would think someone who blames "Israeli sabotage" would be the first to want to see the incident investigated.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

42. They do not take the rumor that it was Israeli sabotage seriously

My apologies if I was unclear.

[oberliner]

43. Oh ok - thanks for clarifying

Misunderstanding on my part!

[azurnoir]

44. I was pointing out an erroneous comparison as for what is

said in Gaza we'll just have to take your word for it, but honestly you really should keep us more informed as to what this couple who lives in Gaza has to say should be interesting to say the least

[shira]

48. Okay, but this is a case of human shielding, as PCHR pointed out at the end of the OP...

Israel makes headlines WRT human shielding, why not Hamas or the IHH/FGM?

Apparently, you couldn't give a rip that not all parties are being held accountable for the crime of using human shields.

Thus, your obsession with human rights violations here on the I/P board is not based on humanitarian concerns, but only on bashing and sliming Israel.

[LeftishBrit]

45. I would call this utter recklessness with their own people's lives - not 'human shields'

Like many warmongers, Hamas place developing their war effort ahead of looking after their own people. Quite disgusting, but not, in this case, a 'human shield'.

[shira]

46. It's more than reckless, it's a war crime. They deliberately set up operations among civilians.

Article 51. Protection of the civilian population

7. The presence or movements of the civilian population or individual civilians shall not be used to render certain points or areas immune from military operations, in particular in attempts to shield military objectives from attacks or to shield, favour or impede military operations. The Parties to the conflict shall not direct the movement of the civilian population or individual civilians in order to attempt to shield military objectives from attacks or to shield military operations.

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

PCHR also states this at the end of the OP...

Points to the seriousness of the continued storage of explosives by the Palestinian resistance groups in civilian-populated areas, which poses a constant threat to the lives of civilians, and constitutes a violation of human rights and international humanitarian law; accordingly, such behavior must be banned. Storing explosives in such a way becomes more serious under the IOF's public and continued threats to attack such sites.

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

Not quite as bad as setting up a military installation and arms depot within a school or hospital, which Hamas has also done, but very close.

[shira]

47. self-delete.