Israel's 'malicious propaganda' endangers UN staff (+ IDF "clarifies")

[tinnypriv]

Israel's 'malicious propaganda' endangers UN staff
UNRAWA, 4 October 2004

Jerusalem – Peter Hansen, Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), has written a strongly-worded protest to Silvan Shalom, Israel's Minister of Foreign Affairs, demanding an apology for allegations made against UNRWA's ambulance drivers in the Gaza Strip.

Israel's military and its ambassador to the United Nations have alleged that it has footage of a Palestinian rocket being transported in an UNRWA ambulance. An investigation by UNRWA and analysis of the footage has established that the object in question was a patient stretcher.

In the letter, which was sent today, Mr Hansen writes:

"Given the technical means and military expertise at the disposal of the IDF to enlarge and analyse the pictures taken by the IDF drone, it is inconceivable that the IDF could have made this egregiously erroneous allegation in good faith. While UNRWA's denial has now been acknowledged by responsible media outlets, there is no such denial shown on the IDF website."

"It is appalling that, with the serious conflict now raging in the Northern Gaza Strip, where UNRWA ambulances are operating in constant danger alongside those of other humanitarian agencies to try to save and transport scores of wounded Palestinians to hospital, the Government of Israel would put out such deliberately inciteful, false and malicious propaganda, encouraging IDF soldiers on the ground (or in the air) to think that UNRWA ambulances and other humanitarian vehicles are transporting terrorists and weapons."

...

UNRWA believes it is noteworthy that the Agency and Peter Hansen have most often been the targets of false allegations following extensive Israeli military operations in the occupied Palestinian territory in which there have been large numbers of Palestinian casualties.

...


http://domino.un.org/unispal.nsf/47d4e277b48d9d3685256ddc00612265/954fc7139de93f6d85256f2300617ddc!OpenDocument

...

See also:

"After Secretary-General of the UN announced he'd agreed to examine Israel's allegation .. that armed Palestinians were using vehicles belonging to the organisation, admissions from officials in IDF: "It's possible we made a mistake"

"Senior military officials confirm to Ma'ariv that the object is question could be a stretcher"

"But, even if proven this would not exonerate UNRAWA ... 'there is no reason to be there except to provide cover for Hamas'"

http://www.nrg.co.il/online/1/ART/792/473.html (Hebrew)


See also:

(Print version of Yediot Aharonoth, translation reads in part: "IDF insists: footage of MPRV (mini drone) shows Kassam missile loaded into UN vehicle", "UNRWA: This is not a missile, but a stretcher", "ISRAEL -> Missiles, THE UN - > Stretcher" )

[Englander]

1. Lest we forget.....

>>U.N. probes Israeli shooting of staffer
UNRWA British national Iain Hook,killed in Jenin
http://www.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/europe/11/26/mideast.un.worker/

>> Lebanon mourns U.N. camp victims
90 killed in Israeli artillery attack
http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9604/30/lebanon.funerals/

And,from the very beginning...

Obituary and legacy of Folke Bernadotte;
http://www.sweden.se/templates/FactSheet____4198.asp

[tinnypriv]

2. "Embarassment in Israel" - FM and IDF remove video from websites

http://www.nrg.co.il/online/1/ART/792/728.html (Hebrew - IDF now performing "full investigation", will notify Ma'ariv of the results).

PRINT EDITION: "The object seen in MPRV footage was not a Kassam missile"

I await with baited breath the apologies of the slanderers around here.

[tinnypriv]

4. Still waiting - surprise surprise (nt)

[Forkboy]

5. You'll be waiting a long time

[number6]

3. kick

:kick: