Three days ago, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights released a report (here's the pdf) on the Gaza onslaught, called "War Crimes Against Children," focusing on "the unprecedented number of children killed by Israeli forces in its latest operation; a total of 313 children under the age of eighteen." The group says that number excludes seven child combatants killed.
The executive summary states:
‘Operation Cast Lead’ was the biggest Israeli military operation in the Gaza Strip in nearly 42 years of occupation. 1,414 Palestinians were killed, and PCHR investigations have found the overwhelming majority, 83 per cent, were civilians.
One of the cases in the report is that of 18 month old Farah al-Helu, who was killed on 4 January. The al-Helu family had been told to evacuate their house in Zaytoun, eastern Gaza, but while they were attempting to flee, Israeli soldiers opened fire on them. Farah was shot in the stomach and bled to death two hours later.War Crimes Against Children exposes the abject failure of Israeli authorities to uphold international humanitarian law, which provides protection for children in armed conflict and the lack of adequate precautions taken to distinguish between civilians and military targets. The report also details indiscriminate shelling of homes and schools where internally displaced people were sheltering, the psychological impact of the offensive, and the alarming scale of physical injuries inflicted on young people.
“We are calling for an independent full-scale investigation into all documented attacks on civilians during the offensive,” said Raji Sourani, director of PCHR. “Israel must be held fully accountable for the crimes it has perpetrated against Gaza’s civilian population, including alleged war crimes against children. We cannot allow the lives of these children to just be statistics in the history books of the Middle East.”
Zionists can only kill children, the ill, the injured, and the weak. They are fucking cowards and liars (human shields/Nazi analogy/Holocaust exploitation/sanctimony and hypocrisy/etc.). This entire narrative is built around power. Take power away from the scum that runs the US and most Israelis and they are nothing but petty criminals.
When are you going to Gaza? Will you go with professional skepticism?
Why is there no self-inquiry requested by this organization? Why is there no inquiry into the attempted assaults on Israeli civilians, Israeli children?
Richard, you don't want to go down that path. The disproportionate nature of the fatalies is res ipsa loquitur. Israel targeted schools, UN buildings, hospitals and civilians. Using my taxpayer dollars, I might add.
"Your honor, I had to slaughter that man and his entire family. He had attempted to defend himself from my encroachments."
Shut up Richard.
Slaughtering innocents is no nothing new by the Israeli state since its been committing such atrocities and general mayhem against Arabs since 1948. What is different is this new international environment blossoming out of the ruins of the previous unipolar world order and consequent paradigm shifts in US foreign policy. Its a new stage where the glare of spotlights upon Israeli misbehavior, some would say state hooliganism and thuggery can no longer be easily switched off as formerly. Its a little surprising to me that Israel hadn't observed the changing international climate after the recent debacle in Lebanon, only to drive on harder yet into making the same mistakes in Gaza all the more graver and damning. What appears to be the deliberate killing of civilians and children as national policy will haunt Israel to no end. It has decidedly widened the cracks in the foundation of the Israeli Lobby in the US, shocking many Jews and Gentiles.
I don't know if they have published about Palestinian terror attacks on Israelis, but they do criticize the PA for its use of the death penalty. Link
Also, I have to say, Richard, that this was an entirely predictable reaction from you. You could have said something like "What Israel did was shameful and a disgrace, but I hope that the Palestinians of good will condemn attacks on Israeli children just as I condemn the much larger scale attacks of Israel against Palestinian children." But you didn't.
I think objective inquiries should be undertaken. Historians and human rights groups should inquire deeply into what really occurred. It would HAVE to include a component of Hamas and other Palestinian factions' idiocy and aggression on civilians. You (collectively) excuse it. Case by case, rocket by rocket, target by target. Was this attack on this target in this manner justified by Israel? Who gave the order, on what basis? How were they held accountable to cardinal human rights? Was this attack on this target in this manner justified by Hamas? Who gave the order, on what basis? HOW WERE THEY HELP ACCOUNTABLE TO CARDINAL HUMAN RIGHTS?
Don't you hate the fact that you are powerless and that no one listens to you whine?
But he wasn't defending himself, he was firing rockets at my familiy while using his wife and 6 children as shields, hoping I would not fire back because he knows I revere life.
That was because Israel did not attack children. And the Palestinians hope they kill children.
The classic Zionist/narcissist motif is to perceive self-defense as an attack. "I revere life" Yeah. 313 kids at a time.
Except that is coming from a source known to exaggerate. And as you have lied in other posts, it is no wonder that you lie now.
"…I think objective inquiries should be undertaken. Historians and human rights groups should inquire deeply into what really occurred…" And Israel currently refuses to cooperate with a: "…UN investigation, headed by Justice Richard Goldstone, into violations of international law during the recent Gaza conflict…If Israel refuses to cooperate with the Goldstone investigation, and Washington supports that refusal, it suggests that what they really fear are criticisms that may emerge from a truly impartial look into the way this war was fought…" On the other hand: "…Ahmed Yousef, deputy foreign minister in the Hamas-controlled government in Gaza, wrote to Goldstone promising "full and transparent cooperation….” Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, B'Tselem and many other international and regional human rights groups have been clamoring for UN investigations into war crimes committed by both sides in the Gaza war. Israel however, prefers to hide behind phony internal reviews and IDF investigations that impartial authorities have adjudged to lack credibly. Israel/Gaza: Israeli Military Investigation Not Credible http://tinyurl.com/pvwzp5 US: Ask Israel to Cooperate with Goldstone Inquiry http://tinyurl.com/pvwzp5 Conflict in Gaza and southern Israel http://tinyurl.com/pvwzp5 B'Tselem is especially critical of the IDF and the civilian authority over issues of policy "set by the operation’s commanders and the political echelon." Independent apparatus needed for investigation of Operation Cast Lead http://tinyurl.com/pvwzp5
Actually, Jacob, when I see your comments, 99% of the time, I don't bother to read them. Richard's comments, I do read, because, despite his nasty views, I consider him a human. That's something you should aspire to, to be human.
Obviously, your definition of humanity does not refer to you. And you read my comments 99% of the time. You just miss the other 1%.