Israel's War Crimes

The Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip represent severe and massive violations of international humanitarian law as defined in the Geneva Conventions, both in regard to the obligations of an Occupying Power and in the requirements of the laws of war

Even the most naive American voter cannot be expected to see the morally, legally and politically questionable death sentence given to Saddam Hussein a milestone in the Bush Administration's illegal war in Iraq. As the milestones pile up, so do the bodies.

Those violations include:
• Collective punishment: The entire 1.5 million people who live in the crowded Gaza Strip are being punished for the actions of a few militants.

• Targeting civilians: The airstrikes were aimed at civilian areas in one of the most crowded stretches of land in the world, certainly the most densely populated area of the Middle East.

• Disproportionate military response: The airstrikes have not only destroyed every police and security office of Gaza's elected government, but have killed and injured hundreds of civilians; at least one strike reportedly hit groups of students attempting to find transportation home from the university.

Earlier Israeli actions, specifically the complete sealing off of entry and exit to and from the Gaza Strip, have led to severe shortages of medicine and fuel (as well as food), resulting in the inability of ambulances to respond to the injured, the inability of hospitals to adequately provide medicine or necessary equipment for the injured, and the inability of Gaza's besieged doctors and other medical workers to sufficiently treat the victims.

Certainly the rocket attacks against civilian targets in Israel are unlawful. But that illegality does not give rise to any Israeli right, neither as the Occupying Power nor as a sovereign state, to violate international humanitarian law and commit war crimes or crimes against humanity in its response. I note that Israel's escalating military assaults have not made Israeli civilians safer; to the contrary, the one Israeli killed today after the upsurge of Israeli violence is the first in over a year.

Israel has also ignored recent Hamas diplomatic initiatives to re-establish the truce or ceasefire since its expiration on 26 December.

The Israeli airstrikes today, and the catastrophic human toll that they caused, challenge those countries that have been and remain complicit, either directly or indirectly, in Israel's violations of international law. That complicity includes those countries knowingly providing the military equipment including warplanes and missiles used in these illegal attacks, as well as those countries who have supported and participated in the siege of Gaza that itself has caused a humanitarian catastrophe.

I remind all Member States of the United Nations that the UN continues to be bound to an independent obligation to protect any civilian population facing massive violations of international humanitarian law--regardless of what country may be responsible for those violations. I call on all Member States, as well as officials and every relevant organ of the United Nations system, to move on an emergency basis not only to condemn Israel's serious violations, but to develop new approaches to providing real protection for the Palestinian people.

Richard Falk is professor of international law at Princeton University and the UN's special rapporteur on the Palestinian territories.

I have seen a lot of articles like this one.

But these articles are short on solutions to rectify the fact that the UN seems irrelevant to Israel.

This guy is admiral in his concern, but I am sure I have heard all this before.

Fingers crossed he gets some traction, but I resent thinking its gonna go nowhere.

Obviously it will stop when the map of Israeli territory covers ALL of what was Palestine for centuries. Jesus, even then it might not stop.

What's wrong guys? You can't take it when someone disagrees with you? What else can I think since you have deleted my post. I expect you guys are just like every other media outlet, you think your views are the only important ones. Well, guess what, as usual the press has it wrong. by refusing to let both sides of the argument be heard you are proving yourselves to be no better than any other media outlet. Why is it that the civilian palestinians have a right for protection yet the jewish civilians do not? I call that two faced. You are no longer reporting news you are now creating your own opinion. Guess what guys....I don't give a rats ass what you guys think. Here is another for you....It is my desire that palestine be leveled to the ground and every towel headed follower of Allah be shot on the spot. Now, if you have the balls, post this. I don't think you will however because you at RINF are no better than the liars at Fox News.

[Thinking Man's Idiot]

I'm glad I'm not you. Before I felt disappointed and sad. Now I can allow myself to feel smug. That's a real treat. PEACE IN PALESTINE.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

What's wrong guys? You can't take it when someone disagrees with you? What else can I think since you have deleted my post. I expect you guys are just like every other media outlet, you think your views are the only important ones. Well, guess what, as usual the press has it wrong. by refusing to let both sides of the argument be heard you are proving yourselves to be no better than any other media outlet. Why is it that the civilian palestinians have a right for protection yet the jewish civilians do not? I call that two faced. You are no longer reporting news you are now creating your own opinion. Guess what guys....I don't give a rats ass what you guys think. Here is another for you....It is my desire that palestine be leveled to the ground and every towel headed follower of Allah be shot on the spot. Now, if you have the balls, post this. I don't think you will however because you at RINF are no better than the liars at Fox News.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

What's wrong guys? You can't take it when someone disagrees with you? What else can I think since you have deleted my post. I expect you guys are just like every other media outlet, you think your views are the only important ones. Well, guess what, as usual the press has it wrong. by refusing to let both sides of the argument be heard you are proving yourselves to be no better than any other media outlet. Why is it that the civilian palestinians have a right for protection yet the jewish civilians do not? I call that two faced. You are no longer reporting news you are now creating your own opinion. Guess what guys....I don't give a rats ass what you guys think. Here is another for you....It is my desire that palestine be leveled to the ground and every towel headed follower of Allah be shot on the spot. Now, if you have the balls, post this. I don't think you will however because you at RINF are no better than the liars at Fox News.

Zing is that you?................

[TEC3009]

I and my family are now totally opposed to the idea of the state of Israel because it was formed from terrorism & ethnic cleansing.

Indeed many real Jews also do not support the idea of a state of Israel because it is Fascism.


We will be boycoting Isreal and everything Israeli from now on and we will be advising others to do likewise - supporting Israel today is like supporting Appartide in South Africa or indeed Supporting NAZIS Germany.

The American & European governments should bow their heads in shame!


Shame on you who support Fascism!