Amnesty International accuses Israel of war crimes in Gaza, urges UN acti

[bemildred]

UNITED NATIONS, June 30 (KUNA) -- Amnesty International on Friday accused Israel of war crimes in Gaza and the Palestinian militias of violation of fundamental principles of international law by kidnapping Corporal Gilad Shalit and killing settler Eliyahu Asheri, urging the international community to act.

"Deliberate attacks by Israeli forces against civilian property and infrastructure in the Gaza Strip violate international humanitarian law and constitute war crimes," Amnesty International said in a statement distributed here.

Israel "must now take urgent measures to remedy the long-term damage it has caused and immediately restore the supply -- at its own cost -- of electricity and water to the Palestinian population in the affected areas," the organization said.

"As the occupying power, Israel is bound under international law to protect and safeguard the basic human rights of the Palestinian population," it added.

KUNA

[Terran1212]

1. (Accuses AI of being antisemtic)*

*US Media

[still_one]

3. AI condemned both parties

[Poppyseedman]

4. I'm shocked

[Terran1212]

6. it was sarcasm..

[still_one]

8. sorry, sometimes I am a little slow

[still_one]

2. OK international POWERS, force both Israel and the Palestinians

to stop this shit

Release all parties and sit down at the negotiation table

[applegrove]

5. Hear! Hear!

[cali]

7. oh for pity's sake,

what's the point of that? Israel's running amok, and the only entity with any hope of putting the brakes on is the US. AI should be directing its missive to the US. (yes I know there's scant hope of the US actually holding the whip over Israel, but it's still the appropriate party to appeal to)

[Tom Joad]

15. I agree with Cali.

That doesn't happen often.

The United States is also violating its own laws, and all standards of human rights by continuing to give unqualified support to Israel with its military aid and diplomatic support. It was the United States, as always, that is blocking UN action on the matter. So Amnesty should at least include that in its message.

All US citizens can sign this statement:
http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/uscampaign/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=4460

[Violet_Crumble]

16. The point is...

...that the UN does have a chance of putting the brakes on if the US doesn't use its place on the Security Council to scuttle resolutions. And to be honest, I think there's as much chance of Israel listening to the US right now (even if by some slim chance the US were to say anything) as it'd listen to the international community....

[indepat]

9. Israel is a good guy who wears the white hat and only the bad guys commit

war crimes.

[number6]

10. I agree with AI

Amnesty International accuses Israel of war crimes in Gaza.

[BayCityProgressive]

11. they accuse Palestine of war crimes

and human rights abuses as well. Don't leave that out.

[number6]

12. some Palestinians commit crimes against Israelis and

and each other, but they don't have much of a state
they don't have artillery, helicopters, fighter - bombers
war crimes are more of a state thing
members of Hamas commit all kinds crimes, but its the first
time they've been elected to offices
they don't have F-16's with 500 pound bombs to
bomb power plants and bridges....

I don't approve of bombing infrastructure in these
circumstances nor of sending people to blow up
buses, cafe's or restaurants with people with
suicide belts or blowing up cars in crowded
city streets with missiles from F-16's

[Igel]

13. And yet, to quote

Lennier (from an American tv show that's had its run), "Faith manages."

[Tom Joad]

14. YOU need to take action. Demand Israel being held accountable

http://www.democracyinaction.org/dia/organizationsORG/uscampaign/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=4460

Hold Israel Accountable for Gaza Attacks

Contact the White House, State Department, and your Members of Congress to demand that Israel is held accountable for its attacks in the Gaza Strip and violations of the US Arms Export Control Act and Foreign Assistance Act. Urge that military aid to Israel be cut off as required by law.

Be sure to personalize your letter to make it most effective.

Israel is using weapons supplied by the United States to target Palestinian civilians and civilian infrastructure in the Gaza Strip in violation of the US Arms Export Control Act and the Geneva Conventions. I demand that you hold Israel accountable for violating US law and cut off military aid to Israel as required by law.

* On June 9th, Israel shelled a beach in Beit Lahiya killing 8 civilians and injuring 32. At the site of the killing, Human Rights Watch found evidence of a 155mm artillery shell consistent with those fired from an Israeli M-109 Self-Propelled Artillery. Between 2000-2005, the United States licensed to Israel $69,163 worth of M-109 spare parts and 155mm artillery shells.*

* On June 13th, Israeli aircraft fired missiles at a van in an extrajudicial assassination of two Palestinians in Gaza City. A second barrage of missiles fired shortly afterward killed nine Palestinian bystanders.

* On June 20th, Israeli aircraft fired at least one missile at a car in an extrajudicial assassination attempt on a road between Jabalya and Gaza City. The missile missed its intended target and killed three Palestinian children and wounded 15.

* On June 27th, Israel launched a massive invasion of the Gaza Strip. Israeli aircraft fired missiles targeting civilian infrastructure. In illegal acts of collective punishment, Israel demolished three key bridges, the Gaza Strip’s only electricity generation plant, and part of a university, thereby endangering Palestinian human rights to food, water, health, electricity, education, and freedom of movement. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert admitted that the purpose of these measures is to “apply pressure” to the civilian population of the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli air force fighter squadrons are composed of Lockheed Martin F-16I Fighting Falcons and Boeing F-15Is, which fire US-manufactured AMRAAM, Sidewinder, and Sparrow missiles. Between 2005-2005, the United States licensed to Israel at least $1.062 billion of spare parts, engines, and missiles for its F-15 and F-16 fighter planes.*

Israel’s month of killing civilians and destroying civilian infrastructure in the Gaza Strip is a clear reminder that Israel remains the occupying power of the Gaza Strip despite last year’s “unilateral disengagement”. Living under military occupation, the Palestinians of the Gaza Strip are “protected persons” under the terms of the Geneva Conventions. Israel’s targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure in the Gaza Strip is a violation of the Geneva Conventions and constitutes war crimes.

In addition, by using US-supplied weapons to commit these atrocities, Israel is violating the terms of the US Arms Export Control Act and Foreign Assistance Act. The Arms Export Control Act restricts the use of US weapons to legitimate self-defense and internal policing; US weapons cannot be used to attack civilians in offensive operations. The Foreign Assistance Act prohibits US aid of any kind to a country with a pattern of gross human rights violations.

* Statistics for US weapons licensed to Israel are compiled from the State Department’s annual report to Congress pursuant to Sec. 655 of the Foreign Assistance Act.

[BayCityProgressive]

17. I will demand

that Palestine AND Israel follow human rights. Palestine is certainly no angel on human rights.

[mike_c]

18. which "Palestine" would that be...?

Or did I miss something?

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

Following the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, the 1949 Armistice Agreements between Israel and neighboring Arab states eliminated Palestine as a distinct territory. It was divided between Israel, Egypt, Syria and Jordan.

In addition to the UN-partitioned area, Israel captured 26% of the Mandate territory west of the Jordan river. Jordan captured and annexed about 21% of the Mandate territory. Jerusalem was divided, with Jordan taking the eastern parts, including the old city, and Israel taking the western parts. The Gaza Strip was captured by Egypt.

For a description of the massive population movements, Arab and Jewish, at the time of the 1948 war and over the following decades, see Palestinian exodus and Jewish exodus from Arab lands.

From the 1960s onward, the term "Palestine" was regularly used in political contexts. Various declarations, such as the 1988 proclamation of a State of Palestine by the PLO referred to a country called Palestine, defining its borders with differing degrees of clarity, including the annexation of the whole of the State of Israel. Most recently, the Palestine draft constitution refers to borders based on the West Bank and Gaza Strip prior to the 1967 Six-Day War. This so-called Green Line follows the 1949 armistice line; the permanent borders are yet to be negotiated. Furthermore, since 1994, there has been a Palestinian Authority controlling varying portions of historic Palestine.

[Behind the Aegis]

19. That's right...

It only exists when convenient for propaganda!

[Behind the Aegis]

20. The "imbalance" continues...

It is the same as it is here. Only one side, Israel*, is responsible for anything! The Palestinians* get a "pass." Calls for sanctions, boycotts, and her destruction, but the Palestinians*, well, they are always the victim. :puke:

*government

[BayCityProgressive]

21. I agree

it is disgusting that radical militant Palestinians get a pass.

[Behind the Aegis]

22. They get one internationally and they get one here!

That they get one here, disgusts me!