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Amnestys report on the incident can be found here
You can find alot of reports of varying subjects on their homepage, I'm sure they talk about Iraq and Syria there too. >>
The report of Human Rights Watch is
Here. I have glanced over it, and it seems balanced, and it makes clear that there were quite alot of armed palestinians in the camp and that they had booby-trapped alot of buildings.[/i] >>
Thanks for the links. As always you are well informed.
One thing I noticed was a lot of accusation but no real evidence presented.
The presence of armed Palestinian militants inside Jenin refugee camp, and the preparations made by those armed Palestinian militants in anticipation of the IDF incursion, does not detract from the IDF's obligation under international humanitarian law to take all feasible precautions to avoid harm to civilians. Israel also has a legal duty to ensure that its attacks on legitimate military targets did not cause disproportionate harm to civilians. Unfortunately, these obligations were not met. Human Rights Watch's research demonstrates that, during their incursion into the Jenin refugee camp, Israeli forces committed serious violations of international humanitarian law, some amounting prima facie to war crimes.
They claim of obligations to protect civilians but there is no mention of what Israel did or what steps they took to aviod civilian casualities.
And most importantly, neither of the papers note in any outrage in the booby trapping by Palestinian militants that very well caused civilian casualities.
Less than 60 people died, and of that we do not know of how many were combantants. To call this a massacre is irresponsible but to also claim of war crimes with so few casualities and aviod the Palestinian contribution is IMO just as irresponsible.
As far as Syeria, they might have mentioned it but they have never done an investigation in country. And I do know for a fact that neither of these groups ever issued a public press statement condemning the treatment of US prisnors in Iraq.
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That's not what I meant. What I meant was that many people around the world (and in this forum) seem to unconditionally support actions of Israel. Reports of war-crimes are ignored. Palestinians have done plenty of things that are wrong and downright stupid, but so has Israel. >>
I don't think they are ignored but the sources are questionable because of their past history to jump to conclusions. A miliary incursion into a civilian area will result in civilian casualities. How many of the 56 werer actually peacful civilians we will never know. But this number is hardly large enough to raise these kind of accusations.
If anything, the Israelis should be thanked they warned people hours ahead to clear the buildings and should be thanks for not simply carpet bombing the area. Both of these actions show Israel is not the blood thirsty nation these two articles portray them as being and both actions are not mentioned by either. That is why I am personally skeptical.
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What I see is a nation-state using it's army in a way that goes against the laws of warfare. Their opposition does the same thing, but their actions are mostly (the official PA organisations have done stupid things too, however) done by terrorist-organisations that are not officially part of PA. >>
But PAID by the PA many times from International funds yet there is no action taken byt he UN to look into this.
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[Condeming actions of Hamas for example would be as meaningful as farting in the wind. Whereas condemning Israel, a modern and democratic nation, could achieve something. That said, I think they should condemn PA as well. And at least Amnesty and others spare no words flaming the PA alongside Israel. >>
Very well said and I understand your POV. Great debating you once again Nemesis
