James Bone
A fact-finding team from the United Nations has accused Israel of committing war crimes in Gaza. The investigation set up by the Human Rights Council concluded that Israeli forces had been systematically reckless in their use of white phosphorus during the Gaza war earlier this year.
The investigators said in their report: “The mission believes that serious consideration should be given to banning the use of white phosphorus in built-up areas.”
They singled out three Israeli attacks using white phosphorus — which is deployed as a smokescreen — saying that they were disproportionate or excessive under international law.
They said that Israel failed to take “all feasible precautions” in using white phosphorus shells in the attack on the UN Relief and Works Agency compound in Gaza City on January 15 despite the presence of up to 700 civilians. It also criticised the use of white phosphorus in attacks on Al Quds and Al Wafa hospitals.
The report accused Israel of breaking international law by deliberately attacking civilians, using Palestinians as “human shields” and torturing detainees. It added that the continuing Israeli blockade of Gaza could constitute persecution — a crime against humanity.
The Times was the first newspaper to expose Israel’s use of white phosphorus in civilian areas of Gaza during Operation Cast Lead, which was aimed at stopping Hamas rockets being fired at Israel.
It began on December 27 last year and ended on January 18. An Israeli human rights group, B’Tselem, said last week that 773 of the 1,387 Palestinians killed were civilians.
The report said that Palestinian armed groups had also committed war crimes and possibly crimes against humanity by indiscriminately firing rockets at civilians in southern Israel.
The mission urged the UN Security Council to give both sides six months to investigate and prosecute offenders before turning the matter over the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, a recommendation unlikely to be followed by the council.
The mission was set up in April by the UN Human Rights Council, which has a record of criticising Israel. It was led by Richard Goldstone, a South African judge who headed a commission on political violence in his homeland. Israel refused to co-operate with the investigation and yesterday dismissed its findings as prejudged.
Times correspondents later established incontrovertible proof that white phosphorus shells were being used after tracing the serial numbers of shells photographed on both sides of the conflict - first stacked beside an Israeli howitzer on January 4, then later partially exploded on the Gazan side.
On January 14 The Times reported the accounts of Israeli soldiers attesting to the use of white phosphorus. The next day, the compound of the United Nations relief agency in Gaza was hit by what UN officials testified were white phosphorus shells.
With Gazan hospitals unable to cope with this kind of burn, victims able to travel were taken to Egypt. Frenkel travelled to Cairo to find some of the worst injured, including the 14-year-old Mahmoud Mattar, one of dozens of victims who have since been traced.
On January 19 Amnesty International announced that it had also found proof of white phosphorus being used in civilian areas - it discovered shell remnants still smouldering in streets and alleyways.
Two days later the Israeli military finally admitted its use of white phosphorus and ordered an inquiry.
(Courtesy Times online)
A fact-finding team from the United Nations has accused Israel of committing war crimes in Gaza. The investigation set up by the Human Rights Council concluded that Israeli forces had been systematically reckless in their use of white phosphorus during the Gaza war earlier this year.
The investigators said in their report: “The mission believes that serious consideration should be given to banning the use of white phosphorus in built-up areas.”
They singled out three Israeli attacks using white phosphorus — which is deployed as a smokescreen — saying that they were disproportionate or excessive under international law.
They said that Israel failed to take “all feasible precautions” in using white phosphorus shells in the attack on the UN Relief and Works Agency compound in Gaza City on January 15 despite the presence of up to 700 civilians. It also criticised the use of white phosphorus in attacks on Al Quds and Al Wafa hospitals.
The report accused Israel of breaking international law by deliberately attacking civilians, using Palestinians as “human shields” and torturing detainees. It added that the continuing Israeli blockade of Gaza could constitute persecution — a crime against humanity.
The Times was the first newspaper to expose Israel’s use of white phosphorus in civilian areas of Gaza during Operation Cast Lead, which was aimed at stopping Hamas rockets being fired at Israel.
It began on December 27 last year and ended on January 18. An Israeli human rights group, B’Tselem, said last week that 773 of the 1,387 Palestinians killed were civilians.
The report said that Palestinian armed groups had also committed war crimes and possibly crimes against humanity by indiscriminately firing rockets at civilians in southern Israel.
The mission urged the UN Security Council to give both sides six months to investigate and prosecute offenders before turning the matter over the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, a recommendation unlikely to be followed by the council.
The mission was set up in April by the UN Human Rights Council, which has a record of criticising Israel. It was led by Richard Goldstone, a South African judge who headed a commission on political violence in his homeland. Israel refused to co-operate with the investigation and yesterday dismissed its findings as prejudged.
Times correspondents later established incontrovertible proof that white phosphorus shells were being used after tracing the serial numbers of shells photographed on both sides of the conflict - first stacked beside an Israeli howitzer on January 4, then later partially exploded on the Gazan side.
On January 14 The Times reported the accounts of Israeli soldiers attesting to the use of white phosphorus. The next day, the compound of the United Nations relief agency in Gaza was hit by what UN officials testified were white phosphorus shells.
With Gazan hospitals unable to cope with this kind of burn, victims able to travel were taken to Egypt. Frenkel travelled to Cairo to find some of the worst injured, including the 14-year-old Mahmoud Mattar, one of dozens of victims who have since been traced.
On January 19 Amnesty International announced that it had also found proof of white phosphorus being used in civilian areas - it discovered shell remnants still smouldering in streets and alleyways.
Two days later the Israeli military finally admitted its use of white phosphorus and ordered an inquiry.
(Courtesy Times online)
