#1 Israel-Hamas arms embargo urged
Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2009 10:41 pm
BBC
I don't have much faith in Amnesty International. Their claims for example during the Lebanon-Israel War were for the most part... False. For example the claims of the ambulance hit by the missile. That ambulance had a few bullet holes in it and a circular hole cut out the roof. Having seen what full size dump trucks look after being hit with missiles... Yeah, that was bullshit.
That said, they got a point. This is getting ridiculous. Israel must be given a reason to stop the settlements (sorry guys but it's got to stop) meanwhile HAMAS and the other groups must be pressured into stopping the use of human bombs and direct targeted attacks meant only to murder civilians.
Thing is I don't see a declaration of an embargo stopping HAMAS from getting it's weapons, most of which they haven't gotten legally to begin with. So frankly this seems to be specifically targeted at Israel and while it may not be their intent, the most likely result in my eyes is that this gives HAMAS the ability to kill more Israelis while hampering the their ability to shot back.
The pic you see is one of flares not Wily Pete hitting the ground. Wily Pete looks like kinda of a mist. They are also not bombs or rockets.Amnesty International has called for a freeze on arms sales to Israel and Palestinian groups such as Hamas following the recent Gaza conflict.
The human rights group said it had evidence both Israel and Hamas had used weapons sourced from overseas to carry out attacks on civilians.
It called for the UN Security Council to impose the embargo on all parties.
Both Israel and Hamas have rejected the conclusions of the report, in which Amnesty accuses each of war crimes.
In the report, Israel is accused of illegally using white phosphorus and other armaments supplied by the US in Gaza, while Hamas is condemned for launching unguided rockets into Israel.
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Amnesty International briefing on arms supplies to Israel and Gaza (1.1Mb)
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Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev told the BBC that Israel had used white phosphorus but not as an anti-personnel weapon.
The substance, which is used to lay smokescreens, is legal for use on open ground but its use in built-up areas where civilians are found is banned under international conventions.
"We tried to be as surgical as humanly possible in a difficult combat situation," he said.
Mr Regev criticised Amnesty's methodology, saying the report's authors used what he called "tainted" data provided by Hamas.
He said Israel was conducting its own investigation into whether any of its munitions were used outside international law.
Hamas also criticised the report's findings as "unjust and unfair".
"It [the report] equates between the criminal and the victim," said Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum.
"There is not a single country in the world which exports weapons to the Hamas movement. At the same time main countries, big countries and superpowers are exporting nuclear and phosphorus weapons, as well as weapons of mass destruction, to the Zionist occupier [Israel]."
Remains of Qassam rocket, Sderot, Israel (06/01/09)
Gaza case studies: Weapons use
Olmert 'to replace truce negotiator'
Israel launched an air strike on central Gaza on Monday after one of its patrols came under fire near the Kissufim border crossing but there were no immediate reports of casualties on either side.
A single rocket launched from Gaza also hit Israeli territory without causing injuries or damage, Israel's military said.
The incidents came despite unilateral truces declared by both Israel and Hamas on 18 January.
Outgoing Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has decided to replace his main negotiator at the talks mediated by Egypt on a lasting truce with Hamas in Gaza, officials say.
Amos Gilad criticised Mr Olmert last week for what he called an inconsistent approach to the talks, which he described as insulting to the Egyptians.
'War crimes'
Donatella Rovera, the head of an Amnesty fact-finding mission to southern Israel and Gaza, said: "Israeli forces used white phosphorus and other weapons supplied by the USA to carry out serious violations of international humanitarian law, including war crimes.
[Israeli] attacks resulted in the death of hundreds of children and other civilians and massive destruction of homes and infrastructure
Donatella Rovera
Amnesty International
Gaza conflict: Who is a civilian?
Q&A: White phosphorus injuries
Who can probe Gaza war crimes claims?
"Their attacks resulted in the death of hundreds of children and other civilians and massive destruction of homes and infrastructure.
"At the same time, Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups fired hundreds of rockets that had been smuggled in or made of components from abroad at civilian areas in Israel.
"Though far less lethal than the weaponry used by Israel, such rocket firing also constitutes a war crime and caused several civilian deaths."
The report said fragments and components of artillery, tank shells, fins from mortar rounds and aircraft-launched missiles and bombs were found in school playgrounds, hospitals and homes in Gaza.
Israel's weaponry predominantly came from the US, the report said.
About 1,300 Gazans and 13 Israelis died in 22 days of fighting last month.
I don't have much faith in Amnesty International. Their claims for example during the Lebanon-Israel War were for the most part... False. For example the claims of the ambulance hit by the missile. That ambulance had a few bullet holes in it and a circular hole cut out the roof. Having seen what full size dump trucks look after being hit with missiles... Yeah, that was bullshit.
That said, they got a point. This is getting ridiculous. Israel must be given a reason to stop the settlements (sorry guys but it's got to stop) meanwhile HAMAS and the other groups must be pressured into stopping the use of human bombs and direct targeted attacks meant only to murder civilians.
Thing is I don't see a declaration of an embargo stopping HAMAS from getting it's weapons, most of which they haven't gotten legally to begin with. So frankly this seems to be specifically targeted at Israel and while it may not be their intent, the most likely result in my eyes is that this gives HAMAS the ability to kill more Israelis while hampering the their ability to shot back.