Israel troops admit Gaza abuses An Israeli military college has printed damning soldiers' accounts of the killing of civilians and vandalism during recent operations in Gaza. One account tells of a sniper killing a mother and children at close range whom troops had told to leave their home. Another speaker at the seminar described what he saw as the "cold blooded murder" of a Palestinian woman. The army has defended its conduct during the Gaza offensive but said it would investigate the testimonies. The Israeli army has said it will investigate the soldiers' accounts. The testimonies were published by the military academy at Oranim College. Graduates of the academy, who had served in Gaza, were speaking to new recruits at a seminar. â The climate in general [was that] lives of Palestinians are much, much less important than the lives of our soldiers â Soldier testimony "[The testimonies] conveyed an atmosphere in which one feels entitled to use unrestricted force against Palestinians," academy director Dany Zamir told public radio. Heavy civilian casualties during the three-week operation which ended in the blockaded coastal strip on 18 January provoked an international outcry. Correspondents say the testimonies undermine Israel's claims that troops took care to protect non-combatants and accusations that Hamas militants were responsible for putting civilians into harm's way. 'Less important' The Palestinian woman and two of her children were allegedly shot after they misunderstood instructions about which way to walk having been ordered out of their home by troops. "The climate in general... I don't know how to describe it.... the lives of Palestinians, let's say, are much, much less important than the lives of our soldiers," an infantry squad leader is quoted saying. In another cited case, a commander ordered troops to kill an elderly woman walking on a road, even though she was easily identifiable and clearly not a threat. Testimonies, which were given by combat pilots and infantry soldiers, also included allegations of unnecessary destruction of Palestinian property. "We would throw everything out of the windows to make room and order. Everything... Refrigerators, plates, furniture. The order was to throw all of the house's contents outside," a soldier said. One non-commissioned officer related at the seminar that an old woman crossing a main road was shot by soldiers. "I don't know whether she was suspicious, not suspicious, I don't know her story… I do know that my officer sent people to the roof in order to take her out… It was cold-blooded murder," he said.. The transcript of the session for the college's Yitzhak Rabin pre-military course, which was held last month, appeared in a newsletter published by the academy. Israeli human rights groups have criticised the military for failing to properly investigate violations of the laws of war in Gaza despite plenty of evidence of possible war crimes. 'Moral army' The soldiers' testimonies also reportedly told of an unusually high intervention by military and non-military rabbis, who circulated pamphlets describing the war in religious terminology. "All the articles had one clear message," one soldier said. "We are the people of Israel, we arrived in the country almost by miracle, now we need to fight to uproot the gentiles who interfere with re-conquering the Holy Land." "Many soldiers' feelings were that this was a war of religion," he added. Defence Minister Ehud Barak told Israel Radio that the findings would be examined seriously. "I still say we have the most moral army in the world. Of course there may be exceptions but I have absolutely no doubt this will be inspected on a case-by-case basis," he said. Medical authorities say more than 1,300 Palestinians were killed during Israel's 22-day operation, including some 440 children, 110 women, and dozens of elderly people. The stated aim was to curb rocket and mortar fire by militants from Gaza. Thirteen Israelis, including three civilians were killed. Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/middle_east/7952603.stm Published: 2009/03/19 13:34:26 GMT © BBC MMIX Print Sponsor
The soldiers' testimonies also reportedly told of an unusually high intervention by military and non-military rabbis, who circulated pamphlets describing the war in religious terminology. "All the articles had one clear message," one soldier said. "We are the people of Israel, we arrived in the country almost by miracle, now we need to fight to uproot the gentiles who interfere with re-conquering the Holy Land." This is the Jewish relegion.
UN envoy: Gaza op seems to be war crime of greatest magnitude By News Agencies A United Nations human rights investigator said on Thursday that Israel's offensive against Hamas in densely populated Gaza appeared to constitute a war crime of the "greatest magnitude." Richard Falk, UN special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories, said the Geneva Conventions required warring forces to distinguish between military targets and surrounding civilians. "If it is not possible to do so, then launching the attacks is inherently unlawful and would seem to constitute a war crime of the greatest magnitude under international law," Falk said. "On the basis of the preliminary evidence available, there is reason to reach this conclusion," he wrote in an annual report submitted to the United Nations Human Rights Council. Falk called for an independent experts group to be set up to probe possible war crimes committed by both Israeli forces and Hamas. Violations included Israel's alleged "targeting of schools, mosques and ambulances" during the December 27-January 18 offensive and its use of weapons including white phosphorus, as well as Hamas firing of rockets at civilian targets in southern Israel. Falk said that Israel's blockade of the coastal strip of 1.5 million people violated the Geneva Conventions, which he said suggested further war crimes and possibly crimes against humanity. The aggression was not legally justified and may represent a "crime against peace" - a principle established at the Nuremberg trials of Nazi criminals, according to the American law professor who serves as the Human Rights Council's independent investigator. He further suggested that the Security Council might set up an ad hoc criminal tribunal to establish accountability for war crimes in Gaza, noting Israel has not signed the Rome statutes establishing the International Criminal Court. Rights group names 1,417 Gaza war dead; Israel disputes toll A Palestinian human rights group has released the names of 1,417 Gazans it says were killed in Israel's recent war on the Palestinian territory's Hamas rulers. The Palestinian Center for Human Rights said Thursday that of those killed, 926 were civilians, 236 were combatants and 255 were members of the Palestinian security forces. Most of the policemen were killed in a series of Israeli bombing attacks on Hamas security compounds on December 27, the first day of the war. The group says it has investigated every civilian death. The list is posted on the center's Web site. Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev disputes the findings. He says Israel is working on its own list and contends that most of those killed were combatants or legitimate targets. Thirteen Israelis were killed during the 22-day Gaza operation.
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You Goldstein wannabe in pauper's clothing. Half+ your threads are racist. Something only Muhammad's zombie army is so entranced with here on ET. What was your previous alias you used? And no, I am not Jewish.
Hey sameeh and ZOG. Lets say a Jew spit in both your faces. Lets then say your Islam group put them in a hole and starting throwing stones at them. Would you throw any stones?
Welcome to asymetrical warfare !! Now we have to all pretend to listen to the ongoing news about the trials for war crimes, same as in Iraq...
The soldiers' testimonies also reportedly told of an unusually high intervention by military and non-military rabbis, who circulated pamphlets describing the war in religious terminology. "All the articles had one clear message," one soldier said. "We are the people of Israel, we arrived in the country almost by miracle, now we need to fight to uproot the gentiles who interfere with re-conquering the Holy Land."
To rephrase "Oh, and if you want to talk about "racism", then let's talk about Islam, which is the only major religion at war with every other major religion as well as secular governments. Islam, a religion which is BASED ON terrorism. How many other religions condone executing someone who just decided to convert to another religion? Or killing your own daughter when you even just THINK she might have had some sexual misconduct? Most other religions, fathers and brothers protect their daughter/sister. Not Islam of course - women are pawns and victims based on male religious interpretation. Sharia - the desire to have law that does not worry about things like evidence or facts. Where people (Islamic) are brutalized or beaten based on things like beards or clothing choice. ISLAM - the religion of terrorism, fear, and lies.