New Report Confirms Hamas' Deadly Campaign During Gaza War
April 22, 2009 • By Christoph KoettlHuman Rights Watch (HRW) this week released a report detailing the unlawful killings and torture of Palestinians by Hamas during the recent Gaza conflict. This report confirms Amnesty’s own findings, published in February, of instances where Hamas murdered and tortured Palestinians. They accused the victims of “collaborating” with Israel, or the victims were members of opposing Palestinian parties, including Fatah.
The HRW report provides a more in depth analysis of the situation. The report claims that Hamas forces and masked gunmen alleged to be members of Hamas extra-judicially executed more than 30 people since December and injured dozens more by shooting them in the leg. Those responsible must be held accountable for their actions and the government of Hamas should address these crimes. According to HRW, the Hamas authorities have begun investigations into only four of these cases, but more needs to be done. Hamas should work to uphold international law and protect human rights as it has said that it will do.
I applaud AI for publishing balanced story about the Gaza situation. It is clear that the Hamas is using brutal and murderous methods to further their political agenda. At the same time Hamas, through skillful PR tries to portray itself as an agent of peace and defender of the oppressed. Many in the West naively buy into this Hamas propaganda. It is refreshing to see that Amnesty International is not among these naive.
I applaud AI for publishing balanced story about the Gaza situation. It is clear that the Hamas is using brutal and murderous methods to further their political agenda. At the same time Hamas, through skillful PR tries to portray itself as an agent of peace and defender of the oppressed. Many in the West naively buy into this Hamas propaganda. It is refreshing to see that Amnesty International is not among these naive.
Thank you AI for finally posting a blog condemning HAMAS. Reading your barage of anti-Israel this, anti-Israel that I was beginning to believe you had no clue what was going on over there.
Now if your organization can recognize Israel's right to exhist and it's right to defend itself from enemies with one goal (Wiping Israel off the face of the map) I might actually consider donating.
It's a start, thanks.
Israel clearly has a right to defend itself, and AI is not denying that. Looking at the recent conflict from the perspective of international humanitarian and human rights law, there were violations on both sides – by Palestinian armed groups like Hamas, and the Israeli Defense Forces. I think we make a clear and big effort to document and critizice human rights violations by all parities to the conflict.
Thanks for your comments, I appreciate your feedback and critizism.
Every indiscriminate, non-precision weapon (ie., rockets, mortars) fired from Gaza on an Israeli population center is a violation of international law. It is very simple and there is not too much left to scrutinize. For a first hand account from Southern Israel, please see our blog entry "A Day in Southern Israel" http://blog.amnestyusa.org/middle-east/a-day-in-s…
On the other side: Many of the attacks by Israel are lawful, while others violate international law – hence this is much more complex and more difficult to investigate, and we therefore produced more materials on that question.
Our research actually showed that both Israeli soldiers and Palestinian fighters endangered the lives of Palestinian civilians – including by using them as human shields: “Our sources in Gaza report that Israeli soldiers have entered and taken up positions in a number of Palestinian homes, forcing families to stay in a ground floor room while they use the rest of their house as a military base and sniper position,” said Malcolm Smart, Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Programme. “This clearly increases the risk to the Palestinian families concerned and means they are effectively being used as human shields.” http://www.amnestyusa.org/document.php?id=ENGNAU2…
Well, its all in the way AI decides to frame it and what reports AI decides to believe.
There is clearly more scrutiny on Israel and the bottomline is had Hamas never launched rockets into Israel in the first place AND fire from Hospitals, Civilian Populated Areas, and Target Innocent Civilians while using civilian areas as shields and for propaganda purposes we wouldn't even be having this discussion.
I'm just saying I'm glad to read a blog condemning Hamas for a change.
Where I take issue are blogs titled "US weapons pour into Israel" as if arming an ally that is surrounded and under attack is a bad thing. There is certainly a twist on the stories blaming Israel because it chose to defend itself. Israel is the one side of the conflict that doesn't purposely target civilians or use civilians as shields. There is various degrees of scrutiny that A.I. decides to take issue with.
Thanks for your comments, I appreciate your feedback and critizism.
Every indiscriminate, non-precision weapon (ie., rockets, mortars) fired from Gaza on an Israeli population center is a violation of international law. It is very simple and there is not too much left to scrutinize. For a first hand account from Southern Israel, please see our blog entry "A Day in Southern Israel" http://blog.amnestyusa.org/middle-east/a-day-in-s…
On the other side: Many of the attacks by Israel are lawful, while others violate international law – hence this is much more complex and more difficult to investigate, and we therefore produced more materials on that question.
Our research actually showed that both Israeli soldiers and Palestinian fighters endangered the lives of Palestinian civilians – including by using them as human shields: “Our sources in Gaza report that Israeli soldiers have entered and taken up positions in a number of Palestinian homes, forcing families to stay in a ground floor room while they use the rest of their house as a military base and sniper position,” said Malcolm Smart, Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Programme. “This clearly increases the risk to the Palestinian families concerned and means they are effectively being used as human shields.” http://www.amnestyusa.org/document.php?id=ENGNAU2…
Thanks for your comments, I appreciate your feedback and critizism.
Every indiscriminate, non-precision weapon (ie., rockets, mortars) fired from Gaza on an Israeli population center is a violation of international law. It is very simple and there is not too much left to scrutinize. For a first hand account from Southern Israel, please see our blog entry "A Day in Southern Israel" http://blog.amnestyusa.org/middle-east/a-day-in-s…
On the other side: Many of the attacks by Israel are lawful, while others violate international law – hence this is much more complex and more difficult to investigate, and we therefore produced more materials on that question.
Our research actually showed that both Israeli soldiers and Palestinian fighters endangered the lives of Palestinian civilians – including by using them as human shields: “Our sources in Gaza report that Israeli soldiers have entered and taken up positions in a number of Palestinian homes, forcing families to stay in a ground floor room while they use the rest of their house as a military base and sniper position,” said Malcolm Smart, Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Programme. “This clearly increases the risk to the Palestinian families concerned and means they are effectively being used as human shields.” http://www.amnestyusa.org/document.php?id=ENGNAU2…
Thank you AI for finally posting a blog condemning HAMAS. Reading your barage of anti-Israel this, anti-Israel that I was beginning to believe you had no clue what was going on over there.
Now if your organization can recognize Israel’s right to exhist and it’s right to defend itself from enemies with one goal (Wiping Israel off the face of the map) I might actually consider donating.
It’s a start, thanks.
Israel clearly has a right to defend itself, and AI is not denying that. Looking at the recent conflict from the perspective of international humanitarian and human rights law, there were violations on both sides – by Palestinian armed groups like Hamas, and the Israeli Defense Forces. I think we make a clear and big effort to document and critizice human rights violations by all parities to the conflict.
Well, its all in the way AI decides to frame it and what reports AI decides to believe.
There is clearly more scrutiny on Israel and the bottomline is had Hamas never launched rockets into Israel in the first place AND fire from Hospitals, Civilian Populated Areas, and Target Innocent Civilians while using civilian areas as shields and for propaganda purposes we wouldn’t even be having this discussion.
I’m just saying I’m glad to read a blog condemning Hamas for a change.
Where I take issue are blogs titled “US weapons pour into Israel” as if arming an ally that is surrounded and under attack is a bad thing. There is certainly a twist on the stories blaming Israel because it chose to defend itself. Israel is the one side of the conflict that doesn’t purposely target civilians or use civilians as shields. There is various degrees of scrutiny that A.I. decides to take issue with.
Thanks for your comments, I appreciate your feedback and critizism.
Every indiscriminate, non-precision weapon (ie., rockets, mortars) fired from Gaza on an Israeli population center is a violation of international law. It is very simple and there is not too much left to scrutinize. For a first hand account from Southern Israel, please see our blog entry “A Day in Southern Israel”
http://blog.amnestyusa.org/middle-east/a-day-in-southern-israel/
On the other side: Many of the attacks by Israel are lawful, while others violate international law – hence this is much more complex and more difficult to investigate, and we therefore produced more materials on that question.
Our research actually showed that both Israeli soldiers and Palestinian fighters endangered the lives of Palestinian civilians – including by using them as human shields: “Our sources in Gaza report that Israeli soldiers have entered and taken up positions in a number of Palestinian homes, forcing families to stay in a ground floor room while they use the rest of their house as a military base and sniper position,” said Malcolm Smart, Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Programme. “This clearly increases the risk to the Palestinian families concerned and means they are effectively being used as human shields.”
http://www.amnestyusa.org/document.php?id=ENGNAU200901088898&lang=e