Dead Gaza fighters "bulldozed into piles"

[Barack_America]

Reuters India

Dead Gaza fighters "bulldozed into piles"

Fri Jan 9, 2009 10:04pm

GAZA (Reuters) - A Palestinian man captured by Israeli troops in Gaza said after his release on Friday that he had seen the corpses of many Islamist fighters bulldozed into piles covered with sand.

"They used a bulldozer to pile up the bodies of the dead. There were bodies of many fighters," said the man, who was released by the Israelis after five days of detention and allowed to return to Gaza.

An Israeli army spokesman said he had no knowledge of such an incident.

The Palestinian gave his name as Eyad and said he saw the bodies in Beit Lahiya, a town in north Gaza that was an early objective in the ground offensive launched by Israel last Saturday after its aircraft had bombed Gaza targets for a week...

More:
http://in.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idINIndia-37367020090109

[liberal N proud]

1. Sounds like a scene from the Holocaust

Did the Israelis forget?

[Barack_America]

2. I honestly don't know.

How is this "defense"?

[Shaktimaan]

8. How is what defense?

The Palestinians bulldozing their dead fighters into piles?
Who exactly said that was a "defense?" Defense from what?

Maybe you are referring to Israel?

If so, killing the fighters who are actively engaged in terrorism against Israel is the very definition of defense. You see, hopefully once Israel kills them they will be unable to continue to launch rockets at Israel. Killing the people who are attacking you is a widely acknowledged means of defense all over the world.

This stems from the theory that dead people are not nearly as dangerous as live ones who are actively trying to kill you.

[Shaktimaan]

7. forget what?

It was not the Israelis bulldozing corpses into piles, assuming it actually happened.

What weird times we live in when the deaths of militants who were actively engaging in terrorism is seen as an analogy for the Holocaust. Innocent civilians just going about their lives (holocaust victims) are the equivalent of terrorists who continually attack innocent civilians (Hamas fighters)?

Need I remind you also that the victims of the Holocaust did not end up dead because they refused an offer of a ceasefire. Mostly because they were never firing on anyone to begin with. See, that's one way to tell "genocide" and "a war" apart. Wars have two sides of armed combatants fighting one another. Genocide has one side of armed combatants slaughtering innocent victims.

I can't believe I actually have to draw this distinction for someone.

[bunnies]

10. Its pretty clear that the 'they' in the article is the Israelis.

I dont know where you would get the idea that the man was referring to somebody else.

THEY demolished houses...
THEY made us sleep in gravel...
THEY bulldozed bodies...

Did you read the article?

[Shaktimaan]

18. You're right.

I read it quickly and misunderstood.

[azurnoir]

11. The man Eyad I beleive was nonspecific

however it is unlikely that it was Palstinians doing the bulldozing as he was being held by IDF at the time from the article

"They used us as human shields in military positions they established inside Gaza Strip before they drove us to a prison in Beersheba," he said. "They made us sleep on gravel, or on the sand. They stripped us of our clothes."

They here would seem to IDF unless of course Hamas has a prison in Beersheba

[Shaktimaan]

19. You're right.

I read it quickly and misunderstood that part.

The rest of my comments still stand however. Hamas fighters are not the equivalent of Holocaust victims. A pile of Hamas casualties bulldozed together is not the same thing as a mass grave of gassed civilians.

[azurnoir]

20. Jeez I thought the world stopped spinning there

for a second anyways:-) but I will give yu this Gaza is not the Holocaust, and as to the bodies just who's bodies they were will not be known for sure till later and then it will probably still be disputed

[High Plains]

23. "Militants actively engaging in terrorism"

You're referring to the Israeli invaders, I assume.

Those dead Palestinians died in Gaza defending Gaza from invaders.

[GoesTo11]

13. According to many Muslim leaders, there was no Holocaust

Look at writings of Abbas and speeches of Ahmadinejad for example.

[Vegasaurus]

3. If true, I am sure the photos will show up

since Hamas loves to push its propaganda.

[Barack_America]

4. I posted this here because it was a single-person account.

(rather than posting it in LBN)

Hopefully relief agencies will be allowed in to investigate.

[stillcool]

6. Dead people are 'propaganda'?

I remember seeing the same kind of thing during Gulf War I, so perhaps it is a standard war procedure to clear dead people out of the way.

[uppityperson]

22. Dead people are "propaganda"?

[PerfectSage]

24. Get realistic. In war both sides push propaganda

And dead people make good propaganda. Imagine an army of Isreali orphan war protestors entering Gaza and then getting massacred by Hamas.

[mikelgb]

5. ...

:puke:

[Kurska]

9. What is the international law in regard to the disposal of the bodies of enemy combatants?

Is there one?

[GoesTo11]

12. Would it matter if some soldiers (alive and/or dead) were booby trapped?

Not that Hamas would do such a thing, but I remember hearing about this in Iraq.

[Xithras]

21. Not sure it applies, but...

One of the Geneva conventions prohibits ill treatment of the bodies of enemy dead. It was intended to combat things like defacating on bodies and such though, and I don't think it would apply to the type of equipment used. There is no international law stating that bodies have to be treated with respect, they just can't be defiled.

[The Magistrate]

14. Chances Of This Panning Out as Accurate, Ma'am, Are Fairly Slim At Present

Claims of similar character were made over the fighting at Jenin in '02, and were dismissed as fable on investigation by human rights organizations.

In a situation like this, it is a mistake to believe much of anything anyone says....

[Barack_America]

15. Yes, thank you, that is why I didn't post it in LBN.

I would want confirmation of this from another source. Nevertheless, hopefully human rights organizations will be allowed to investigate this claim.

Also, I'm not certain of the credibility of Reuters India. Do you have an impression of the accuracy of their reports?

[The Magistrate]

17. Appreciated, Ma'am

I have no particular impression of Reuters India. It will be interesting to see if this is picked up by the flag-ship, and gets into Western papers.

[Idealism]

16. If this is true, its not the first time Israelis have used bulldozers

Rachel Corrie :cry: