IDF must investigate death / Firing Qassam rockets at israeli citizens

[Agony]

1 May 2006: Apologies aren't enough – the IDF must investigate those responsible for the death in Tulkarm.

The circumstances under which 'Itaf Zalat, a 44-year old woman, was killed in Tulkarem last night, raise the grave suspicion that Israeli security forces acted as if they were conducting an assassination rather than an arrest operation. Such behavior constitutes a blatant violation of the principles of International Humanitarian Law.

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B'Tselem has yet to complete its investigation into the incident. However, its initial findings indicate a clear similarity between the security forces' behavior in this incident and those in past arrest operations in which innocent civilians were killed.

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Between January 2004 and May 1, 2006, 157 Palestinians were killed in what the IDF terms arrest operations in the West Bank . Of these, at least 35 were civilians, whom the military admits were mere bystanders to the operation. An additional 54 of those killed were defined as wanted by the military.

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http://www.btselem.org/English/Press_Releases/20060501.asp

Is BTselem for real? Are these facts? If so isn't this wrong?

Btselem also posted this press release: (I wanted to get both of these press releases in the same post sorry if that is confusing)

Firing Qassam rockets at a civilian population is a war crime

From June 2004 to the end of March 2006, thirteen civilians, five of them minors, were killed by Qassam rockets that Palestinians fired into Israel and at Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip. Eight of the victims were Israeli, four were Palestinian, and one a Chinese national. The rocket attacks also caused substantial property damage.

The Palestinian organizations responsible for the rocket-fire state openly that one of their aims is to kill Israeli civilians. Deliberate attacks on civilians are both immoral and illegal. The willful killing of civilians is classified as a grave breach in the Fourth Geneva Convention and as a war crime that is unjustifiable under any circumstances.

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http://www.btselem.org/English/Israeli_Civilians/20060417_Qassam_missiles.asp

Are these facts? If so isn't this wrong?

Can we agree that both sides in this need to act differently. I never hear it that way on the evening news!

[Tom Joad]

1. Remember that it is Israel that occupies Palestinian land, and

Palestinians suffer under occupation.
Palestinians do respond in many ways to that occupation. Including with armed resistance.
sometimes attacks against civilians, which is not to be condoned.

They also act with nonviolent resistance. Today, nonviolent internationals were shot by the Israeli occupation forces as they were protesting the construction of the wall that will completely destroy this particular village.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=124x125573

The incident cited, where 'Itaf Zalat, a 44-year old woman died, is commonplace. It is part of the effort of the Israeli military to induce Palestinians to accept the occupation. This is openly stated.

Btselem is an internationally respected Israeli human rights organization that seeks to hold all parties accountable.

If we want the resistance to end, then we must call for a end to occupation... completely and without conditions. As US taxpayers, we should especially be vocal in this, because our taxdollars are at work here.
Occupation: Wrong in Iraq, and wrong in Palestine.

[pelsar]

2. Btelem..

doesnt always have all the facts...they arent privey to the details/history etc of those involved...at the sametime, they do provide a service that attempts to be balanced.

Whereas the IDF is a bit more complicated, since the jihadnikim wear civilian clothes, attack wearing civilians, hide out in civilian areas, any attempt to "get them" be it via it arrest or other wise will by definition include some "punishment" of the locals, be it simply curfew or being in the wrong place.

for the palestenains who shoot the rockets, suicide bombers etc, well they are obviously as they state attempting to kill as many civilians as possible. They are clear about that, and have no intention of stopping...or so they say.

If there is a change to occur, for one side to act differently it has already be tried. Israel left gaza, that was the change, the breaking of the cycle if you will.....the result has been almost nightly attacks FROM gaza.