New York – Rights group Amnesty International has called for the United Nations to impose a global freeze on arms sales to Israel and the Gaza-ruling Hamas movement, claiming that both sides used foreign-made weapons to attack civilians. In a report released on Monday, Amnesty also claimed that the Jewish state and Hamas had both committed “war crimes”.
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“We urge the UN Security Council to impose an immediate and comprehensive arms embargo on Israel, Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups until effective mechanisms are found to ensure that munitions and other military equipment are not used to commit serious violations of international law,” said Malcolm Smart, Amnesty’s Middle East director in a statement published on Monday.
Amnesty research claimed that Israel committed war crimes by using white phosphorous munitions, which killed hundreds of children.
“Israeli forces used white phosphorus and other weapons supplied by the USA to carry out serious violations of international humanitarian law, including war crimes. Their attacks resulted in the death of hundreds of children and other civilians and massive destruction of homes and infrastructure,” said Donatella Rovera, Amnesty researcher on Israel and the Palestinian Territories.
Smart called for the US administration led by president Barack Obama to suspend weapons supplies to Israel.
“As the major supplier of weapons to Israel, the USA has a particular obligation to stop any supply that contributes to gross violations of the laws of war and of human rights. The Obama administration should immediately suspend US military aid to Israel,” Smart said.
He added that American taxpayers were funding Israel’s munitions, some of which have been used to commit alleged war crimes.
“To a large extent, Israel’s military offensive in Gaza was carried out with weapons, munitions and military equipment supplied by the USA and paid for with US taxpayers’ money,” said Smart.
According to Amnesty the United States is the major supplier of conventional arms to Israel and under a 10-year agreement, the US is expected to provide 30 billion dollars in military aid to Israel to the year 2017.
However, the report attacked the Islamist Hamas movement, saying its rocket attacks also constituted a war crime.
“At the same time, Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups fired hundreds of rockets that had been smuggled in or made of components from abroad at civilian areas in Israel. Though far less lethal than the weaponry used by Israel, such rocket firing also constitutes a war crime and caused several civilian deaths,” said Rovera.
Amnesty said that “unsophisticated” rockets are smuggled into Gaza clandestinely or built in Gaza from components secretly brought in from abroad, but did not name the countries.
From November 2001 until June 2008, Qassam rockets have killed 23 Israelis and wounded hundreds, according to The Israel Project, a non-government, non-profit organisation
Israel’s foreign ministry immediately attacked the Amnesty report as “biased and unprofessional”.
“Initial study of the report indicates that it presents a biased version of the events, and does not adhere to professional criteria and objectivity. A detailed response will be given at a later stage,” said a statement in Israel’s foreign ministry website posted on Monday.
The foreign ministry instead accused Hamas of using civilians as human shields, failing to recognise the existence of Israel and said that it was merely protecting its citizens against terror.
These people know how to rehash old garbage over and over again. The white phos were flairs. These people are nuts. Maybe the loony bin has some room for these idiots.
FYI: Hamas does not “purchase” it’s arm legally, it smuggles them in the tunnels. Additionally, Syria, Iran, and the like will continue to ship these terrorists weapons regardless of any embargo. So who are we kiding here?
Why is Amnesty International urging the UN when they are one in the same?
At the same time, Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups fired hundreds of rockets that had been smuggled in or made of components from abroad at civilian areas in Israel. Though far less lethal than the weaponry used by Israel, such rocket firing also constitutes a war crime and caused several civilian deaths,” said Rovera.
WOW an admission. Thank G-d she added the cavest that the Gazan missles are far less lethal or we might have thought she threw us a bone. Can someone explain how missles are labeled – would that be regular, extra, or extra strenght lethal missles.
Can I have the names of the hundereds of gazan children killed by this gas. I seem not to recall seeing the corpses.
Amnesty has been a joke for at least 25 years that I remember. Every year it becomes more of a joke. Anyone who takes it seriously nowadays should themselves not be taken seriously. It’s a pity, because it started out as a decent organisation that did some good. Right now, I wouldn’t make water on its offices if they were on fire.
White phosphoros is NOT ILLEGAL, no matter how much Amnesty would like it to be. It’s a legitimate weapon, used mostly for illumination, but sometimes to smoke people out of hiding. Both uses are legitimate.
Another accusation Amnesty makes is that Israel tries to protect its own soldiers’ lives, even at the expense of enemy civilians. I was glad to hear this, and I wish it were true. That’s not a crime, it’s how things SHOULD be. Unfortunately it isn’t always how Israel behaves. Many holy IDF soldiers have been killed in order to save enemy lives, just because those enemies didn’t happen to be holding a weapon just at that moment. That is truly a war crime for which the Israeli authorities will have to give an accounting before the Kisei Hakovod. The IDF must internalise the din that Jewish lives come first, and that includes the lives of soldiers.
maybe we should all ban this amnesty group once and for all
If Israel is giulty of war crimes then so is America, Britten or any ligitamate country trying to defend its people and have colateral damage. I wonder how Donatella Rovera would react if these rockets were being lobed onto his family
Amnesty is a CRIMINAL ORGANIZATION run by communists and neo-marxists. It must be held accountable for their protection of Murderous Regimesand terror organizations throughout the world including: Syria, Iran, Sudan, Cuba, Venezuela, Mozambique, Kenya, South Africa, North Korea, Hamas, PLO, Al Queda, Hezbolo, ANC, and the Socialist International. They must all be banned and disbanded.
They are 100% right how dare isreal get arms if isreal gets no arms Hamas with the support of the UN & Amnesty would have been able to kill all the Jews and we would have succeeded what our forefathers the Nazis couldn’t finish? But don’t worry moshiach is on the way
this is garbage america would do the same thing if Mexico started firing rockets at us and beside war is war with all these rules war will be fought the same way 4 graders fight slapping biting scratching and the enmy could also “Tap out” when he had enough