Israeli Extra-Judicial Executions - by Stephen Lendman
At 8:50AM on February 27, an Israeli aircraft fired two missiles at a civilian microbus on the coastal road near Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip. Six members of the Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades were in it at the time. Five of them were killed. The sixth one was seriously injured.
Twenty minutes later, another aircraft attacked a vehicle in which other Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades members were traveling. They escaped harm by fleeing before missiles struck their car and destroyed it.
On March 1, Hamas reported that Israelis killed 91 Palestinians in February, 83 in Gaza and eight in West Bank, and the killing continues to escalate. The International Middle East Media Center (IMEMC) said eyewitnesses confirmed that IDF troops and tanks invaded Jabalyia (in Gaza) before dawn on Saturday. They targeted the refugee camp, struck at resident homes, attacked medical relief workers, fired missiles at cars and in residential areas, and killed at least 37 Palestinians (mostly civilians) and injured 120 others by midday. IMEMC later on Saturday raised the toll to 56 dead and updated it again Sunday AM to 98 as IDF forces continued rampaging without letup.
Haaretz first reported 34 deaths on Saturday, including five children and three women. Later in the day, it upped the total to 50, then 59 and by Sunday noon the total known killed was "more than 70." AP first indicated 33 deaths, then raised it to 45, then 50 late in the day and 66 by Sunday morning (plus about 200 wounded) and nearly 100 deaths since February 27.
The Palestinian Ma'an News Agency reported 84 deaths since Saturday, 98 in total since February 27 and over 200 wounded, many with mangled bodies and serious life-threatening injuries. Throughout the weekend, Israeli aircraft struck many targets, including Hamas' headquarters building (unoccupied at the time) that "completely collapsed" and injured five people, according to witnesses.
Reports continue being updated, and the latest 6PM Gaza time one from the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) indicates the following: 101 documented deaths since February 27, including 49 unarmed civilians. They include 25 children and five women. In addition, more than 250 people have been injured, mostly unarmed civilians, and many injuries are serious. Further, there's been widespread destruction of homes, other buildings and property throughout Gaza. As it usually does, the IDF employs "disproportionate and excessive lethal force in residential districts, with utter disregard for the lives of civilians."
Under international law, these are crimes of war and against humanity. On March 1, the Palestinian human rights organization, Al-Haq, issued a statement saying: "Many of the recent Israeli attacks constitute war crimes which may amount to grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions, for which (Israelis are) criminally responsible" and must face trial. Al-Haq called on the international community to act because "All states have criminal jurisdiction to try (the) accused....by virtue of the principle of universal jurisdiction....No excuse can therefore justify their inaction in view of the unlawful willful killing of (Palestinian) civilians in" occupied Palestine.
PCHR also reported that an Israeli aircraft bombed Abd El-Rahman Mohammad Ali Atallah's home in Gaza City on Saturday. It was completely destroyed and killed six members of his family, including three women. Six other family members were injured, four of whom were children and one was a "two-day old" infant. The situation is dire, hospitals can't cope, Israeli forces prevent ambulances from evacuating the injured, supplies of everything are short, morgues are overwhelmed, coffins aren't available to bury bodies, and overall conditions are impossible for Gazans to handle as they continued being attacked without mercy into the early hours of Monday.
It hardly matters that Israeli forces pulled out of Gaza early Monday with the final death toll still to be assessed. IDF incursions are common and frequent, and official government statements assured they'll continue. One spokesman said: "We will continue with our 'defensive' actions against those who fire lethal rockets at our civilians." Another said: "if they get (our) message, then we may get into a period of quiet. If (not), then there will be more operations like this one or worse."
Palestinians in the West Bank are also affected. On Sunday, Israeli forces assaulted protesters:
-- in Hebron with live rounds and tear gas, killing a 14 year old boy and injuring 45 others, including 24 children;
-- in Ramallah the same way injuring seven teenagers; and
-- in Bethlelem as well injuring two boys, one from bullet wounds to the leg and the other from tear gas inhalation. Other demonstrations took place in Jenin, Nablus and other West Bank and Gaza locations. Hundreds of Israeli Arabs also held one in Nazareth, Israel on Friday after the High Court denied a petition to overturn a police ban preventing Israeli Arabs from holding a memorial service for recently deceased George Habash, the founder of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and its Secretary-General until 2000. No violence was reported.
Meanwhile for Jews inside Israel, life proceeds normally as they conduct their daily affairs. So far, the toll on them and IDF forces is minimal:
I am a 72 year old, retired, progressive small businessman concerned about all the major national and world issues, committed to speak out and write about them.
"Hamas has proposed a cease-fire many times and has been clear that it would have to include a cessation of all hostilities: Hamas would cease and impose a halt to all rockets and mortar shells from Gaza provided Israel would end its "targeted liquidations", military incursions and its siege of Gaza...if Israel’s goal is to end rocket attacks from Gaza, the most logical and beneficial step it could take would be to respond positively to Hamas’ repeated cease-fire proposals for a complete end to rocket fire on Israel, most recently, on February 23rd, when Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri said that Hamas will consider any initiative that will bring about a ceasefire. Hamas claims it has secured the agreement of all factions to halt rocket fire and promised to impose the cease-fire provided that Israel reciprocates. Israel’s Prime Miniser Ehud Olmert immediately rejected the cease-fire offer, even though a growing number of Israeli politicians and security officials are calling for Israel to accept a cease-fire. Israel’s current operations are clearly about much more than securing Israeli civilians lives. Israel could easily end the rocket fire by accepting a cease-fire."-Dr. Steve Niva; Member of the Faculty, Middle East Studies, The Evergreen State College
PLEASE dear reader, Do Something and phone, email, FAX your reps and this Administration to demand a Bilateral Ceasfire and Dialogue with the 'enemy' to end the seige on Gaza which is the only way to security for Israel and hope for peace in the Middle East
How true about all you say. Hamas has bent over backwards to accommodate Israel, but, of course, Israel and Washington scorn peace and justice and that cuts to heart of problem. How can there be peace when only one side wants it and dominant media reports lies. The old blame the victim game. Israel didn't end hostilities today. It just paused before the next act of aggression and when victims defend themselves they're called "terrorists."
by
Stephen Lendman (219 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 76 comments)
on Monday, March 3, 2008 at 8:28:45 AM
We living Orwell's nightmare-government and corporate contolled media are in bed together but we are also living in a revolutionary time and our weapons are words disseminated on the world wide web.
Muckrakers like you give me hope, and we the people are better than our current leadership, but as Edward R. Murrow warned 50 odd years ago, as TV went in the direction of mindless entertainment and neglected programs of enlightenment we would end up with a dumbed down republic.
Dissent is what keeps democracies healthy, and in a vibrant democracy the politicians are afraid of the people and the citizenry is well informed and active!
In totalitarian regimes the people are afraid of the government and are kept so busy by Big Brother [Govt. + Media] with mindless entertainment and must work many hours just to keep food on the table, there is no time or energy to THINK DEEPLY, question and dissent.
Keep on fighting the good fight, for "Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not. ... Genius will not. ... Education will not. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent."- Calvin Coolidge
"Observe good faith and justice towards all nations; cultivate peace and harmony with all...and passionate attachments for others, should be excluded; and that, in place of them, just and amicable feelings towards all should be cultivated. The nation which indulges towards another a habitual hatred or a habitual fondness is in some degree a slave...a passionate attachment of one nation for another produces a variety of evils." George Washington's Farewell Address - 1796
In solidarity "we have it in our power to begin the world again."-Tom Paine
by
Eileen Fleming (133 articles, 43 quicklinks, 257 diaries, 568 comments)
on Monday, March 3, 2008 at 10:11:38 AM
What if..Hama takes out its genocidal charter provision against Israel? What if .. after the withdrawal from Gaza, Hamas would have enterted into negotiations for peaceful co-existence instead of raids and rockets into Israel. What if ..Hamas would have consulted Israel on the industries within Gaza instead of destroying them? What if .. Hamas would return Israeli soldiers they kidnapped? What if .. instead of smuggling lethel weapons Hamas would bring vital supplies to its people? What if .. Hamas favored peaceful co-existence in its education instead of preaching jihad and genocide? Did you two ever think of that?
by
philip rosen (0 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 87 comments)
on Thursday, March 6, 2008 at 9:01:53 AM
