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The War Profiteers - War Crimes,
Kidnappings & Torture |
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July 30th,
2009 - Israel Orders 14 Probes into Troops over Gaza War |
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Israel Orders
14 Probes into Troops over Gaza War Israeli military says reviewing close to 100 complaints from number of
sources including its soldiers. From Middle East Online July 30, 2009 Tel Aviv - The Israeli
military has ordered 14 criminal probes into the conduct of its soldiers
during the war on the Gaza Strip at the turn of the year, the Jerusalem Post
reported on Thursday. It said the military is
currently reviewing close to 100 complaints from a number of sources,
including from soldiers who took part in the devastating 22-day operation on
Gaza, as well as Palestinians and human rights groups. The military did not
immediately respond to a request for comment on the report. In a report earlier this
month, Amnesty International accused both Israeli forces of war crimes. It also said Israel's use of
white phosphorus shells was also a clear breach of international law. Also this month, an Israeli
human rights group said Israeli soldiers were told to shoot first and worry
about the consequences later, and used Palestinian civilians as human
shields. Instructions received before
battle led to trigger-happy soldiers, civilian deaths and massive destruction
in the densely populated Palestinian enclave, the Breaking the Silence group
said in a report based on testimony from 30 soldiers. In April, the military said
its investigations showed the army "operated in accordance with
international law," maintaining "a high professional and moral
level" while facing an enemy who deliberately fought from within
civilian areas. Many Israeli soldiers said
that they were encouraged by Rabbis to kill and have little regard for
innocent civilians. Israel's war on Gaza killed
nearly 1,400 Palestinians, mainly civilians, and wounded 5,450 others. The war also left tens of
thousands of houses destroyed, while their residents remained homeless. Israel, which wants to crush
any Palestinian liberation movement, responded to Hamas's win in the elections
with sanctions, and almost completely blockaded the impoverished coastal
strip after Hamas seized power in 2007, although a ‘lighter’ siege had
already existed before. Human rights groups, both
international and Israeli, slammed Israel’s siege of Gaza, branding it
“collective punishment.” A group of international
lawyers and human rights activists had also accused Israel of committing
“genocide” through its crippling blockade of the Strip. Gaza is still considered
under Israeli occupation as Israel controls air, sea and land access to the
Strip. The Rafah crossing with
Egypt, Gaza's sole border crossing that bypasses Israel, rarely opens as
Egypt is under immense US and Israeli pressure to keep the crossing shut. Fatah has little
administrative say in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, and has no power in
Arab east Jerusalem, both of which were illegally occupied by Israel in 1967. Israel also currently
occupies the Lebanese Shabaa Farms and the Syrian Golan Heights. External link: http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=33443 |