Israel, Hamas both 'guilty of war crimes': Report
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Israel, Hamas both 'guilty of war crimes': Report
David Edwards and Stephen C. Webster
Published: Monday February 23, 2009http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Israel_Hamas_guilty_of_war_crimes_0223.html
War is a universal crime.
But in the case of recent fighting between Israel and Hamas, both have committed the technical definition of "war crimes," according to a new Amnesty International report.
The human rights organization said that Israel's use of white phosphorus -- a substance which is approved for what the BBC called "open battlefields," but which causes severe burns and widespread death when used in civilian centers -- was the clearest example of Israeli war crimes.
But the report also criticized Palestinian militants for firing "indiscriminate rockets into residential areas of southern Israel, killing three civilians."
"Of the 1,300 Gazans that died in the conflict, around 300 of them [were] children," said the BBC.
"Direct attacks on civilians and civilian objects, disproportionate attacks and indiscriminate attacks are war crimes," the report reads.
Other claims pointed toward the Israelis includes what investigators say is direct evidence of attacks on Palestinian civilians and the civilian center deployment of guided missiles filled with metal darts.
"We found remains of artillery, air-delivered, of different kinds," said Donatella Rovera, a spokeswoman with Amnesty International. "Parts of which had serial numbers. Through that we were able to establish where they were from."
The report includes a lengthy list of guided bombs, aircraft and other advanced military technology sold to Israel by the United States.
"This report was obviously done in cooperation with the Hamas regime," retorted a spokesman for the Israeli government.
"Hamas says its weapons can't be compared to those of Israel, but it also feels the report is unbalanced," said the BBC.
Amnesty has called on the UN Security Council to impose an immediate arms embargo on Israel, Hamas and other armed Palestinian groups. -
Get used to it, in war, the winning side is always free of blame............ the loser is always the one at fault
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Amnesty International is secretly ObviousMan!!
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A man did something stupid to a sleeping tiger and was mauled.
Should he argue like this: " Hey, I lifted your hind leg to verify your gender. Your response is disproportionate."
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What if the tiger is occupying your house?
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Wait, nobody tried the US for war crimes for firebombing Tokyo, and nuking Hiroshima and Nagasaki eh? They bombed civilians leh...
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They bombed civilians leh...
They won the war.
Iraq war also based on bullshit.
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Both were wrong but I think Israel were the biggest culprits since history dictated that they stole the Palestinian lands...
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Israel is a member of UN, hence have to comply with UN charter and other international laws. Hamas which rule Gaza is not even a state by itself. Membership in the UN is open to all peace-loving states, if Israel continues to behave like Hamas (so-called terrorist org.) then Israel is making a mockery of UN. I called Hamas Freedom Fighters as they are resisting Israel occupation of palestinian land. Of course if Hamas committed crimes against humanity, they should also face justice. We know the prison abuses in Iraq and Afghanistan, What about prisons in Israel? Thousands of palestinians are being held by Israel. Have Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International or UN carry out any investigations on prisons in Israel?