Norman Finkelstein: Has Amnesty International Lost its way? Part III
A forensic analysis of Amnesty’s reports on Operation Protective Edge
Sexta-feira, dia 18 de julho de 2014
In an unprecedented criticism of the Israeli siege of Gaza, a senior official in the Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) humanitarian charity has described his organisation’s work among the 1.8 million besieged Palestinian refugees as akin to being “in an open-air prison to patch up prisoners in between their torture sessions”.
Meanwhile, shortly after midnight, the IDF announced approval to call up 18.000 additional reserves, bringing the total of soldiers to 72.000. Overnight the IDF destroyed the home of a Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader, Abdullah al-Shami.
while the bombs destroy entire buildings in a minute
Meanwhile, shortly after midnight, the IDF announced approval to call up 18.000 additional reserves, bringing the total of soldiers to 72.000. Overnight the IDF destroyed the home of a Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader, Abdullah al-Shami.
while the bombs destroy entire buildings in a minute
Below, only Palestinian identified victims.
Nome dos mortos palestinos no dia 18 de julho.
Source/Fonte: IMEMC-International Midlle East Media Center. 2015.
- Majdi Suleiman Jabara, 22, Rafah
- Faris Juma al-Mahmoum, 5 months, Rafah
- Omar Eid al-Mahmoum, 18, Rafah
- Nassim Mahmoud Nassier, 22. Beit Hanoun
- Karam Mahmoud Nassier, 20, Beit Hanoun
- Salmiyya Suleiman Ghayyadh, 70, Rafah
- Rani Saqer Abu Tawila, 30, Gaza City
- Hammad Abdul-Karim Abu Lehya, 23, Khan Younis
- Mohammad Abdul-Fattah Rashad Fayyad, 26, Khan Younis
- Mahmoud Mohammad Fayyad, 25, Khan Younis
- Amal Khader Ibrahim Dabbour, 40, Beit Hanoun
- Ismail Yousef Taha Qassim, 59, Beit Hanoun
- Ahmad Fawzi Radwan, 23, Khan Younis
- Mahmoud Fawzi Radwan, 24
- Bilal Mahmoud Radwan, 23
- Monther Radwan, 22
- Hasan Majdi Mahmoud Radwan, 19.
- Mohammad Sami as-Said Omran, 26, Khan Younis.
- Hani As'ad Abdul-Karim Shami, 35, Khan Younis
- Mohammad Hamdan Abdul-Karim Shami, 35, Khan Younis
- Husam Musallam Abu Issa, 26. Gaza
- Ahmad Ismael Abu Musallam, 14, Gaza City
- Mohammad Ismael Abu Musallam, 15
- Wala Ismael Abu Musallam, 13.
- Naim Mousa Abu Jarad, 23, Beit Hanoun
- Abed Mousa Abu Jarad, 30
- Siham Mousa Abu Jarad, 26
- Raja Oliyyan Abu Jarad, 31
- Haniyya Abdul-Rahman Abu Jarad, 3
- Samih Naim Abu Jarad, 1
- Mousa Abul-Rahman Abu Jarad, 6 months
- Ahlam Mousa Abu Jarad, 13.
- Husam Musallam Abu Aisha, 26, Jahr al-Deek
- . Mohammad Saad Mahmoud Abu Sa'da , Khan Younis
- Ra'fat Mohammad al-Bahloul, 35, Khan Younis
- Wala al-Qarra, 20, Khan Younis
- Abdullah Jamal as-Smeiri, 17, Khan Younis
- Ahmad Hasan Saleh al-Ghalban, 23, Khan Younis
- Hamada Abdullah Mohammad al-Bashiti, 21, Khan Younis
- Hamza Mohammad Abu Hussein, 27, Rafah
- Ala Abu Shabab, 23, Rafah
- Mohammad Awad Matar, 37, Rafah
- Bassem Mohammad Mahmoud Madhi, 22, Rafah
- Ahmad Abdullah al-Bahnasawi, 25. Um An-Nasr
- Saleh Zgheidy, 20, Rafah
- Mahmoud Ali Darwish, 40, Nusseirat, Central Gaza
- Yousef Ibrahim al-Astal, 23,Khan Younis
- Imad Hamed E'lawwan, 7, Gaza
- Qassem Hamed E'lawwan, 4.
- Sarah Mohammad Bustan, 13, Gaza
- Rezeq Ahmad al-Hayek, 2, Gaza
- Mustafa Faisal Abu Sneina, 32, Rafah
- Imad Faisal Abu Sneina, 18
- Nizar Fayez Abu Sneina, 38.
- Ismail Ramadan al-Loulahi, 21, Khan Younis
- Ghassan Salem Mousa Abu Azab, 28, Khan Younis
- Ahmad Salem Shaat, 22, Khan Younis
- Mohammad Salem Shaat, 20
- Amjad Salem Shaat, 15.
- Mohammad Talal as-Sane, 20, Rafah
Reservistas da IDF, forças israelenses de ocupação,
Shovrim Shtika - Breaking the Silence
17. “We are entering a war zone”
Rank: Captain
Area: Gaza strip
The entire time, neither before the incursion nor during the incursion [to the Gaza Strip] were there any clearly defined rules of engagement. Rules of engagement are part of the combat procedure, it’s the first thing given to every company that goes in – and there were none.
They didn’t explain the rules of engagement, or what they said was unclear?
They didn’t say, they didn’t touch the topic. During the briefing with the battalion commander on the night of the incursion, he was asked what the rules of engagement were, how we conduct ourselves, whom we shoot and whom we don’t. What he said was – and this was the general gist of things – “We are entering a war zone.” Meaning, what we prepared for during training – combat in urban areas. The IDF distributed flyers informing the residents of the areas that we were to enter, that the IDF was coming in, and that anyone remaining in the area was in effect sentencing themselves to death. That’s what was said. This, I think, was very reassuring for any soldier about to enter [the Gaza Strip]. Because A) you want to know the IDF is warning the residents. B) Combat in Gaza is very complicated because on the one hand there’s us [going in] and on the other hand the [Gaza] Strip is so small that the residents don’t really have anywhere to escape. I say this is reassuring as a soldier because if, for example, you want to know whether you can throw a grenade into a house [to protect] your life, you would rather know that you can do that.
Often rules of engagement also describe at whom you cannot shoot. Were there any instructions regarding civilians or uninvolved people?
That was what was missing. There was no reference to it from higher up – from the battalion commander, say. I was waiting for this to come from higher up – and it didn’t. I remember that night I sat the guys down and told them what happens in the event of civilians. Officers held a meeting on how we define that issue to the soldiers. [Our definition was that] we would enter while shooting, enter a house with a grenade – the way it was defined – but ultimately we use our judgment if we run into a woman or child. We use our judgment and we don’t shoot. During operation ‘Pillar of Defense,’ I remember everything went by really fast – within 36 hours of being called up, we were geared up and ready to go, but even during that short period of time I remember that when we got to the staging area, someone said to me, “You’re an officer? Here,” and gave me a kit with maps and all kinds of booklets and formal IDF materials, and also a little booklet with instructions on how to deal with the civilian population. In that exact stage of the preparations, this kit [was something every commander was given]. I was given no such thing during [Operation] ‘Protective Edge.’
When you laid out rules of engagement for your soldiers, were you in effect violating, or contradicting the battalion commander’s orders?
Yes, we contradicted the rules of engagement, but I think what we defined as regulations filled a certain vacuum. The rules of engagement were more or less that we were entering a war. We briefed the soldiers on [how to act while manning] posts, while inside houses, while defending themselves. We laid out rules of engagement using our common sense. If I remember correctly, we170defined a suspect arrest procedure (a procedure that dictates firing warning shots before directing fire at a suspect), a procedure that contradicts the directive of, “Anyone you see, you shoot.
”Which was essentially the directive?
Basically, yes.
Shooting to kill?
Yes.
Rank: Captain
Area: Gaza strip
The entire time, neither before the incursion nor during the incursion [to the Gaza Strip] were there any clearly defined rules of engagement. Rules of engagement are part of the combat procedure, it’s the first thing given to every company that goes in – and there were none.
They didn’t explain the rules of engagement, or what they said was unclear?
They didn’t say, they didn’t touch the topic. During the briefing with the battalion commander on the night of the incursion, he was asked what the rules of engagement were, how we conduct ourselves, whom we shoot and whom we don’t. What he said was – and this was the general gist of things – “We are entering a war zone.” Meaning, what we prepared for during training – combat in urban areas. The IDF distributed flyers informing the residents of the areas that we were to enter, that the IDF was coming in, and that anyone remaining in the area was in effect sentencing themselves to death. That’s what was said. This, I think, was very reassuring for any soldier about to enter [the Gaza Strip]. Because A) you want to know the IDF is warning the residents. B) Combat in Gaza is very complicated because on the one hand there’s us [going in] and on the other hand the [Gaza] Strip is so small that the residents don’t really have anywhere to escape. I say this is reassuring as a soldier because if, for example, you want to know whether you can throw a grenade into a house [to protect] your life, you would rather know that you can do that.
Often rules of engagement also describe at whom you cannot shoot. Were there any instructions regarding civilians or uninvolved people?
That was what was missing. There was no reference to it from higher up – from the battalion commander, say. I was waiting for this to come from higher up – and it didn’t. I remember that night I sat the guys down and told them what happens in the event of civilians. Officers held a meeting on how we define that issue to the soldiers. [Our definition was that] we would enter while shooting, enter a house with a grenade – the way it was defined – but ultimately we use our judgment if we run into a woman or child. We use our judgment and we don’t shoot. During operation ‘Pillar of Defense,’ I remember everything went by really fast – within 36 hours of being called up, we were geared up and ready to go, but even during that short period of time I remember that when we got to the staging area, someone said to me, “You’re an officer? Here,” and gave me a kit with maps and all kinds of booklets and formal IDF materials, and also a little booklet with instructions on how to deal with the civilian population. In that exact stage of the preparations, this kit [was something every commander was given]. I was given no such thing during [Operation] ‘Protective Edge.’
When you laid out rules of engagement for your soldiers, were you in effect violating, or contradicting the battalion commander’s orders?
Yes, we contradicted the rules of engagement, but I think what we defined as regulations filled a certain vacuum. The rules of engagement were more or less that we were entering a war. We briefed the soldiers on [how to act while manning] posts, while inside houses, while defending themselves. We laid out rules of engagement using our common sense. If I remember correctly, we170defined a suspect arrest procedure (a procedure that dictates firing warning shots before directing fire at a suspect), a procedure that contradicts the directive of, “Anyone you see, you shoot.
”Which was essentially the directive?
Basically, yes.
Shooting to kill?
Yes.
Gaza hoje - today
before / antes de Protective Edge
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