ICRC Says Israel Broke International Law in Gaza

[tekisui]

Source: Reuters

GENEVA, Jan 8 (Reuters) - Relief workers found four starving children sitting next to their dead mothers and other corpses in a house in a part of Gaza City bombed by Israeli forces, the International Committee of the Red Cross said on Thursday.

The ICRC accused Israel of delaying ambulance access to the hit area and demanded it grant safe access for Palestinian Red Crescent ambulances to return to evacuate more wounded.

"This is a shocking incident," said Pierre Wettach, ICRC chief for Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories.

"The Israeli military must have been aware of the situation but did not assist the wounded. Neither did they make it possible for us or the Palestinian Red Crescent to assist the wounded," he said.

In unusually strong terms, the neutral agency said it believed Israel had breached international humanitarian law in the incident.

In a written response, the Israeli army said it works in coordination with international aid bodies assist civlians and that it "in no way intentionally targets civilians".

The army said any serious allegations would need to be investigated properly after a formal complaint was received, "within the constraints of the military operation taking place".

more: http://www.reuters.com/article/homepageCrisis/idUSL91281282._CH_.2400

[tekisui]

1. ICRC Press Release:

Gaza: life-saving ambulances must be given unrestricted access to the wounded


Geneva (ICRC) – Ambulances in Gaza must be given systematic round-the-clock access to the wounded everywhere in the territory so that they can save as many lives as possible, the president of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Jakob Kellenberger, said today.

"Medical emergency personnel, particularly from the Palestine Red Crescent Society, must be granted safe unlimited passage so that they can reach the wounded, treat them and, if necessary, evacuate them to a medical facility," Mr Kellenberger said. Israel has said that it will facilitate humanitarian access to the victims of the conflict in Gaza. This implies granting unrestricted access for ambulances and emergency medical personnel.

"We welcome the daily three-hour suspension of hostilities, which has at least temporarily eased the situation of the civilian population," said Mr Kellenberger. "However, it must be possible to evacuate the wounded at all times, not just during three hours." He added that the Israel Defense Forces and Palestinian armed groups are obliged under international humanitarian law to do everything possible to search for, collect and evacuate the wounded and sick, without delay, especially in situations where access for ambulances is not granted for security reasons.

International humanitarian law also stipulates that medical personnel, hospitals and other medical units must be respected and protected. The same holds for medical vehicles, such as ambulances, exclusively assigned to helping the wounded and sick. Attacks on medical personnel are prohibited, as are attacks on facilities used exclusively for medical tasks.

"These obligations apply to Israel and to the Palestinian armed groups fighting in Gaza," said Mr Kellenberger. "We have already had cases of wounded people dying because the ambulances couldn't reach them in time. If these fundamental rules of international humanitarian law are not respected more people will die who could have been saved."

http://www.icrc.org/Web/eng/siteeng0.nsf/html/palestine-israel-news-080109?OpenDocument

[bdamomma]

3. Israel is committing a war crime or crimes of humanity

can't they be held responsible for this.

[cali]

2. Shocking. Hideous. Indefensible.

[tekisui]

4. Just when I think that the atrocities cant get worse.

This one is absolutely indefensible. But, no doubt the Israeli PR-spin will have the talking points out shortly...

[cali]

5. It's partly PR talking points and it's partly people

who believe strongly that this is chiefly the fault of Hamas. It's not, of course, but people have their own pov regardless of Israeli talking points. To say this is an emotional topic, is an understatement.

[Howardx]

6. looking forward to the trials

in the hague

[cali]

7. I'm sure they'll take place right after the trials of bush, cheney and rumsfeld.

[azurnoir]

8. This incident shocks me

that the IDF sat back and allowed this, I have also read that when these kids were discovered the IDF ordered the ICRC to leave immediately the workers refused and got the kids and bodies out.
Now the UN has stopped aid shipments for safety reason because 2 of their truck drivers were killed by Israeli shelling.

[soulcore]

9. Error: You can't recommend threads from this forum

Heh, imagine that.

This needs to be seen far and wide, too bad certain mods don't agree.