Human Rights Watch Accuses Israel of War Crimes (Jim Lobe)

[laststeamtrain]

Human Rights Watch Accuses Israel of War Crimes
Jim Lobe

WASHINGTON, Aug 2 (IPS) - In systematically failing to distinguish between Hezbollah fighters and civilian population in its three-and-a-half-week-old military campaign in Lebanon, the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) have committed war crimes, according to a report released by Human Rights Watch Wednesday.

The 50-page report, "Fatal Strikes: Israel's Indiscriminate Attacks Against Civilians in Lebanon," detailed nearly two dozen cases of IDF attacks in which a total of 153 civilians, including 63 children, were killed in homes or motor vehicles.

In none of the cases did HRW researchers find evidence that there was a significant enough military objective to justify the attack, given the risks to civilian lives, while, in many cases, there was no identifiable military target. In still other cases cited in the report, Israeli forces appear to have deliberately targeted civilians.

"By consistently failing to distinguish between combatants and civilians, Israel has violated one of the most fundamental tenets of the laws of war: the duty to carry out attacks on only military targets," according to the report.

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http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=34219

[Erika]

1. The dead pics of Lebanese kids says it all.

One of my best friends is Lebanese/American. Her mother was Lebanese, her father was in our Army. She can't believe the Israelis would attack like this.

[Briar]

2. Sadly, nothing will come of this

There is no international body capable of prosecuting such crimes. HRW can call on the UN to set up a commission, but what good will that do? The UN, ultimately, can only act when it suits the US, and when it doesn't, it can only talk. Israel knows this. If challenged, it can point to its protector the US, which disregards the Geneva Conventions and international law (indeed defies international law and scorns the ICC) whenever it suits it. We live in a lawless world where might makes right.

[mom cat]

3. I never thought I would see such arrogant disregard for the law.

The US and Israel are now the most dangerous rogue states on the planet.