New report documents Israel's attacks on children in Gaza

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/news/middle-east/18153-new-report-documents-israels-attacks-on-children-in-gaza

The report by Defense for Children International Palestine (DCIP), 'Operation Protective Edge: A War Waged on Children', deals with the verified deaths of 547 Palestinian children during Israel's assault, two-thirds of whom were 12 years old or younger.

DCIP says it found "overwhelming and repeated evidence that Israeli forces committed grave violations against children amounting to war crimes." This included the killing of 164 children by drone strikes.

In addition to the fatalities, more than 1,000 children "suffered injuries that rendered them permanently disabled."

The report documents numerous specific incidents, including the deaths of Rawya Joudeh, 40, and four of her five children (aged between 6 and 4), when an Israeli drone-fired missile struck as they played in the family's yard.

This shit has to end.

[Jefferson23]

1. Don't support utilizing the international courts, don't support sanctions or a boycott.

Just know that when Palestinians have been dealt enough of a blow, they'll
give up and agree to a happy bantustan for their future.

Operation Protective Edge: A war waged on Gaza's children
http://www.dci-palestine.org/sites/default/files/operationprotectiveedge.awarwagedonchildren.160415.pdf

[guillaumeb]

2. And will the report be discounted by Israeli apologists

by attacking the authors rather than discussing the substance?

DCIP is a well known, independent NGO and had been working on childrens' issues for many years. They are not allied with any particular government, but their reports are uncomfortable reading for countries that attack children. See the link for more:
http://www.defenceforchildren.org/

As to attacking civilians, in particular children,

"The concept of immunity, the rule that certain people and places should be “protected and respected” during wartime, can be dated back at least to 1582, when a Spanish judge suggested that “intentional killing of innocent persons, for example, women and children, is not allowable in war.” The Geneva Conventions of 1949 confirmed immunity for civilians, hospitals, and medical staff, and the 1977 Additional Protocols to the conventions state: “The civilian population and individual civilians shall enjoy general protection against the dangers arising from military operations.”

The absolute rule is that civilians must not be directly targeted for military attack. Furthermore, some individuals considered especially vulnerable —children under fifteen, the elderly, pregnant women, and mothers of children under seven—are granted special protection and may, for example, be moved to safe zones exempt from attack by agreement of the warring parties. The wounded, sick, or shipwrecked, military personnel who are considered to be hors de combat, are protected, as are prisoners of war."
http://www.crimesofwar.org/a-z-guide/immunity-from-attack/

But Israel violates International Law with impunity, secure in the belief that the US will stop any action proposed to be taken against Israel at the UN or the World Court.

[oberliner]

3. Very depressing

That so many children are killed in military conflicts around the world is just heartbreaking.

I've read that the Syria fighting has claimed the lives of somewhere on the order of 10,000 children, for instance.

Several thousand in Iraq and Afghanistan as well.

The world is a messed up place.

Let's all take a moment and pray for peace the world over. And let us pray for an end to the conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians that has gone on for far too long and caused innocent children to lose their lives.

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

6. Israel holds a lot if responsibility on this...

The report states: "Missiles dropped by Israeli warplanes killed 225 children while they were in their own homes or seeking shelter, often as they sat down to eat with their families, played, or slept."

In six military offensives on the Gaza Strip since 2006, Israel has killed 1097 children, says DCIP. The NGO reiterates its call for the UN Secretary-General to "list" Israel's armed forces as part of the UN Security Council's children and armed conflict agenda.

[oberliner]

8. Yes, indeed they do

There have been way too many "regrettable accidents" and too much of the "it's a shame that kids gets killed but as long as we also get the bad guys, that's the way it goes" attitude on the part of the Israeli military.

[guillaumeb]

9. in addition to the deaths of children,

what is all of this killing doing to the soldiers? One would think that PTSD would be a big problem for the Israeli soldiers as well as the Palestinians. What has to be done in the way of training/brainwashing to convince soldiers that making war on children is a good idea?

[azurnoir]

24. yes of course as you point out so very eloquently here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1134&pid=101065

and once again I thank you

[oberliner]

30. Wrong link?

That one is about the Hamas tunnels.

[azurnoir]

24. posting glitch repeat of comment 24

[azurnoir]

24. posting glitch repeat of comment 24

[azurnoir]

24. posting glitch repeat of comment 24

[azurnoir]

24. posting glitch repeat of comment 24

[shira]

4. No children should have been killed. What does DCIP say about Hamas....

...and their responsibility for breaking and violating every ceasefire attempt (that would have saved hundreds of kids), for using kids as human shields and as militants? What does DCIP say about Hamas' very clear intention to have as many innocents killed as possible? Or about the 160 children killed digging tunnels as child-laborers for Hamas?

Anything at all?

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

5. Yes, shira, Israel is such a victim that it is forced to kill...

children in staggering amounts.

[shira]

10. Yes, I understand the need to defend Hamas completely & blame Israel totally. n/t

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

14. I've never defended Hamas for anything that it has done. I just don't like

IDF killing Palestinians, children at that, almost as if it were sport.

[shira]

17. Really? Then please educate us about Hamas' deliberate war crimes committed....

Last edited Mon Apr 20, 2015, 09:18 PM - Edit history (1)

...against their own people.

Like human shielding, using children as militants, and > 200 rockets falling short within Gaza on the Palestinian population there.

All war crimes.

Do you deny these war crimes?

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

22. There's lot's to be answered for on both sides. Take your BS litmus tests elsewhere.

[shira]

32. That's an evasion. You just said you don't defend Hamas but you literally....

....cannot comment on any specific war crime they commited.....AGAINST THEIR OWN PEOPLE!

Why?

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

35. Re-read my reply. I don't subscribe to YOUR

BS litmus tests.

[shira]

36. So Palestinian children are used as human shields & child militants by Hamas....

And you have no comment on that? The OP didn't even mention >2000 Hamas rockets that fell short and landed within Gaza.

All of these are war crimes by Hamas.

Where's your concern and outrage at Hamas?

[R. Daneel Olivaw]

37. You don't care about Palestinian children.

All one has to do is read your hidden posts to know you are one uncaring partisan.

Remember all your hidden posts where you used the term "Pallywood?"

[azurnoir]

7. Back with the false 160 children killed digging tunnels again? It's more like 9 which is tragic

At approximately 8:00 pm on Sunday 27 January 2013, civil defense teams recovered the body of Riyadh Ahmed Abu Ma’mmar, 34, who had been working in a tunnel on the Gaza-Egypt border near As-Salam neighborhood, south of Rafah.
He died when the tunnel he was working in collapsed.
His colleague Mu’men Jaber Abu Mustafa, 18, was injured in the same incident and was admitted to Abu Yousif An-Najjar Hospital where his injury was described as critical.
This raises the death toll to 235.
In addition, 20 Palestinians were killed inside tunnels as a result of two Israeli aerial attacks.
Nine of the 232 killed were children.
Since 2006, 599 persons were injured in separate incidents.

http://www.mezan.org/en/post/16212/Palestinian+Dies+in+Tunnel+Collapse+on+Gaza-Egypt+Border+Raising+Death+Toll+to+235

The Journal of Palestine Studies must, however, admit to an unfortunate editorial error in the article by Pelham it printed: the figure of 160 children killed in commericial tunnels is inaccurate. In the JPS text, Pelham purportedly says: "At least 160 children have been killed in the tunnels, according to Hamas officials," Rather, the figure 160 reflects the total number of deaths in the tunnels recorded by the Hamas authorities as of 2012. The qualifier "children" was inadvertantly added by JPS at a late stage of editing . In fact, as of January 2013, al-Mezan Center for Human Rights in Gaza put the number of Palestinians killed in the commercial tunnels at 235, only 9 of whom were chilldren. It also noted that by that time another 20 Palestinians had been killed inside tunnels as a result of Israeli air strikes. We accept responsibility for this error and apologize for it.

http://www.palestine-studies.org/sites/default/files/response%20to%20netanyahu%20and%20correction%2028%20Aug%2014.pdf

[shira]

11. It's not false. It's in the quote you cited and link....

Rather, the figure 160 reflects the total number of deaths in the tunnels recorded by the Hamas authorities as of 2012.

You need to actually read those "iron-clad" refutations of yours.

[azurnoir]

12. it does not say 160 children does it? Nope it says total and that's by your trucated snip

and quotes figures from the Mezan Center in Gaza putting the number of child deaths at 9 which is bad enough and here so you finally understand I'll repost it and will do so as many times as needed

The Journal of Palestine Studies must, however, admit to an unfortunate editorial error in the article by Pelham it printed: the figure of 160 children killed in commericial tunnels is inaccurate. In the JPS text, Pelham purportedly says: "At least 160 children have been killed in the tunnels, according to Hamas officials," Rather, the figure 160 reflects the total number of deaths in the tunnels recorded by the Hamas authorities as of 2012. The qualifier "children" was inadvertantly added by JPS at a late stage of editing . In fact, as of January 2013, al-Mezan Center for Human Rights in Gaza put the number of Palestinians killed in the commercial tunnels at 235, only 9 of whom were chilldren. It also noted that by that time another 20 Palestinians had been killed inside tunnels as a result of Israeli air strikes. We accept responsibility for this error and apologize for it.

http://www.palestine-studies.org/sites/default/files/response%20to%20netanyahu%20and%20correction%2028%20Aug%2014.pdf

At approximately 8:00 pm on Sunday 27 January 2013, civil defense teams recovered the body of Riyadh Ahmed Abu Ma’mmar, 34, who had been working in a tunnel on the Gaza-Egypt border near As-Salam neighborhood, south of Rafah.
He died when the tunnel he was working in collapsed.
His colleague Mu’men Jaber Abu Mustafa, 18, was injured in the same incident and was admitted to Abu Yousif An-Najjar Hospital where his injury was described as critical.
This raises the death toll to 235.
In addition, 20 Palestinians were killed inside tunnels as a result of two Israeli aerial attacks.
Nine of the 232 killed were children.
Since 2006, 599 persons were injured in separate incidents.

http://www.mezan.org/en/post/16212/Palestinian+Dies+in+Tunnel+Collapse+on+Gaza-Egypt+Border+Raising+Death+Toll+to+235

[oberliner]

13. Weird that they didn't catch that before publishing the report

Only after some folks drew attention to those numbers did they suddenly decide that it was just a typo...or something.

[azurnoir]

15. weird no one noticed until Israel needed a distraction from the 100's of dead children in Gaza

some folks like the Israeli government perhaps? also note al-Mezan's figures from the same time period

The Journal of Palestine Studies must, however, admit to an unfortunate editorial error in the article by Pelham it printed: the figure of 160 children killed in commericial tunnels is inaccurate. In the JPS text, Pelham purportedly says: "At least 160 children have been killed in the tunnels, according to Hamas officials," Rather, the figure 160 reflects the total number of deaths in the tunnels recorded by the Hamas authorities as of 2012. The qualifier "children" was inadvertantly added by JPS at a late stage of editing . In fact, as of January 2013, al-Mezan Center for Human Rights in Gaza put the number of Palestinians killed in the commercial tunnels at 235, only 9 of whom were chilldren. It also noted that by that time another 20 Palestinians had been killed inside tunnels as a result of Israeli air strikes. We accept responsibility for this error and apologize for it.

http://www.palestine-studies.org/sites/default/files/response%20to%20netanyahu%20and%20correction%2028%20Aug%2014.pdf

At approximately 8:00 pm on Sunday 27 January 2013, civil defense teams recovered the body of Riyadh Ahmed Abu Ma’mmar, 34, who had been working in a tunnel on the Gaza-Egypt border near As-Salam neighborhood, south of Rafah.
He died when the tunnel he was working in collapsed.
His colleague Mu’men Jaber Abu Mustafa, 18, was injured in the same incident and was admitted to Abu Yousif An-Najjar Hospital where his injury was described as critical.
This raises the death toll to 235.
In addition, 20 Palestinians were killed inside tunnels as a result of two Israeli aerial attacks.
Nine of the 232 killed were children.
Since 2006, 599 persons were injured in separate incidents.

http://www.mezan.org/en/post/16212/Palestinian+Dies+in+Tunnel+Collapse+on+Gaza-Egypt+Border+Raising+Death+Toll+to+235

[shira]

16. Oberliner is right. It's damned convenient. But also...

JPS cites the pro-Hamas Al-Mezan NGO to back up their alleged error.

The same Al-Mezan that calls Israel's military the "IOF" and reports false civilian casualty figures straight from Hamas officials, pretending the numbers are factually accurate. The numbers from Cast Lead reported by just about everyone outside of Israel turned out being wrong. Israel was right all along, as the casualty rate was 50:50 between civilians and militants. Hamas admitted it.

Al-Mezan also lied in January 2010 about Israel opening up a dam in order to flood Gaza. The problem is there are no dams Israel could open in order to flood Gaza. This crazy claim was just made in February 2015 as well; called the "Flood Libel". Hamas believes it can use this charge every few years and that dupes will just buy into it.

[azurnoir]

18. yes it was quite convienent for Israel to after years 'discover' that report

it lay fallow for literally years until Israel needed a distraction

and as for your near hysteria over what you claim as lies here is another story

sraeli occupation forces (IOF) opened sand barriers to the east of Gaza Strip, which blocked flow of rainwater into the Strip, and flooded many houses.

A statement for the Palestinian civil defense brigades said that the IOF soldiers’ step flooded many houses and roads topped by the main road linking north Gaza to its south.

Heavy rainfall on the western Negev led the IOF to open the floodgates to avoid a flood on their side.

https://occupiedpalestine.wordpress.com/2012/03/04/iof-soldiers-deliberately-open-floodgates-on-central-gaza-photography/


?w=588&h=391

?w=588&h=364

?w=588&h=396

[oberliner]

19. So the article was published in 2012 - and not corrected until 2014?

Just let me make sure I have this right:

In 2012, an article is published in The Journal of Palestine Studies indicating that 160 children were killed in the Hamas tunnels.

Netanyahu cites this figure in a speech in August of 2014.

Later that same month, The Journal says that the figure is actually not accurate and was based on "editorial error" where the word "children was inadvertently added in at a late stage of editing."

So it took two years and a public comment from Netanyahu for the journal to decide that they had this very significant error in their report?

I would point out that the initial paragraph read as follows:

A similarly cavalier approach to child labor and tunnel fatalities damaged the movement’s standing with human-rights groups, despite government assurances dating back to 2008 that it was considering curbs. During a police patrol that the author was permitted to accompany in December 2011, nothing was done to impede the use of children in the tunnels, where, much as in Victorian coal mines, they are prized for their nimble bodies. At least 160 children have been killed in the tunnels, according to Hamas officials. Safety controls on imports appear similarly lax, although the TAC insists that a sixteen-man contingent carries out sporadic spot-checks.

<end of citation>

It seems odd that the word "children" was just added as an editor's error here when the sentence before specifically references the use of children in the tunnels.

This 2-year later "correction" does not pass the smell test, I'm afraid.

[shira]

20. +100. n/t

[azurnoir]

23. if there had been any factual evidence Israel's boosters would have promoted the statement

when it was published as opposed to waiting until Israel needed to deflect from the number of children it was killing in Gaza, but in light of this thread I find your comments here on this item pure gold indeed, as I said if there had been any truth to the statement it would have been front and center when it was published

also there is al-Mezans statement or will you claim that too is false? It seems allmost habitual with some here when it comes to Arab/ Palestinian statements

[oberliner]

31. So the Journal of Palestine studies published that figure without factual evidence?

That's not a great thing for a supposedly academic journal to do.

Also, if you read the paragraph, there is no way you can believe that "children" was added by accident as an editorial error. The rest of the paragraph is clearly talking about children working in the tunnels.

[azurnoir]

34. Believe whatever you need to but in this case al-Mezan also stands as proof

no to mention JPS also correct what it says was an editorial error, perhaps you should write your Congressman as JPS is based in DC and is a 501(c)(3) public charity. also no statement from Pellham regarding his work

The Journal of Palestine Studies must, however, admit to an unfortunate editorial error in the article by Pelham it printed: the figure of 160 children killed in commericial tunnels is inaccurate. In the JPS text, Pelham purportedly says: "At least 160 children have been killed in the tunnels, according to Hamas officials," Rather, the figure 160 reflects the total number of deaths in the tunnels recorded by the Hamas authorities as of 2012. The qualifier "children" was inadvertantly added by JPS at a late stage of editing . In fact, as of January 2013, al-Mezan Center for Human Rights in Gaza put the number of Palestinians killed in the commercial tunnels at 235, only 9 of whom were chilldren. It also noted that by that time another 20 Palestinians had been killed inside tunnels as a result of Israeli air strikes. We accept responsibility for this error and apologize for it.





http://www.palestine-studies.org/sites/default/files/response%20to%20netanyahu%20and%20correction%2028%20Aug%2014.pdf


At approximately 8:00 pm on Sunday 27 January 2013, civil defense teams recovered the body of Riyadh Ahmed Abu Ma’mmar, 34, who had been working in a tunnel on the Gaza-Egypt border near As-Salam neighborhood, south of Rafah.
He died when the tunnel he was working in collapsed.
His colleague Mu’men Jaber Abu Mustafa, 18, was injured in the same incident and was admitted to Abu Yousif An-Najjar Hospital where his injury was described as critical.
This raises the death toll to 235.
In addition, 20 Palestinians were killed inside tunnels as a result of two Israeli aerial attacks.
Nine of the 232 killed were children.
Since 2006, 599 persons were injured in separate incidents.




http://www.mezan.org/en/post/16212/Palestinian+Dies+in+Tunnel+Collapse+on+Gaza-Egypt+Border+Raising+Death+Toll+to+235

[shira]

21. What Oberliner said. As for the Flood-Libel, this lie was used several times....

Al-Jazeera knew it was 100% bullshit just 2 months ago and retracted...
http://www.camera.org/index.asp?x_context=3&x_outlet=228&x_article=2951

But Al-Mezan reported it as if it were true in 2010.

They'll probably report the same shit in around 4 years when they have nothing else to blame Israel for. Gotta keep those NGO dollars pouring in from peeps who live to see the Jewish state slimed.

[azurnoir]

29. you'd have some point except my snip from a different source did not anything about dams or

flood gates being opened

[shira]

33. I do have a point. Al-Mezan lies in the service of Hamas. n/t

[azurnoir]

38. you've made similar claims about a number of publications including I beleve Haaretz

in fact it is a claim used whenever the facts disagree with the claims