Israeli soldiers intentionally fired on civilians and could have committed crimes against humanity during a string of crackdowns against Palestinian demonstrators last year in Gaza that left 189 people dead, U.N.-backed investigators said Thursday.
The “independent” Commission of Inquiry, mandated by Human Rights Council, said more than 6,000 people were shot by military snipers using live ammunition to repel protesters near the separation fence. The panel showed video of grisly shootings of protesters as it issued a report on the violence that began in March.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blasted the council for “setting new records for hypocrisy and mendacity, out of an obsessive hatred of Israel.”
The three-person panel said civilians who did not pose an “imminent threat” were among those killed and injured. It acknowledged significant violence linked to the demonstrations, but said they did not amount to combat campaigns, essentially rejecting an Israeli claim of “terror activities” by Palestinian armed groups.
“Between the 30th of March and the 31st of December, we found that 189 Palestinians were killed — 183 of them with live ammunition,” said Bangladeshi lawyer and commission member Sara Hossain.
Alluding to Israeli soldiers, she said, “we are saying that they have intentionally shot children, they have intentionally shot people with disabilities, they have intentionally shot journalists.”
In the Commission's view, the “demonstrations” were “civilian in nature.” Yet Hamas leaders themselves contradicted them…while speaking AT the riots:https://t.co/T9Uwp9Z2Bf pic.twitter.com/93pdv9cuzz
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) February 28, 2019
The panel said Israel needed to do more to allow the injured, even today, to gain access to proper medical care, and urged Israel’s government to authorize a “meaningful” investigation into the events.
The commission also faulted Hamas, which runs Gaza, for not preventing use of incendiary kites — low-tech weapons with flaming tails designed to ignite fires — during the protests.
The Hamas-led protests were fueled initially by calls for the “right of return” of Palestinian refugees to go back to long-lost properties in what is now Israel. They later turned into a weekly demonstration aimed at easing a painful blockade imposed on Gaza.
Israel imposed the blockade after Hamas, a terror group sworn to its destruction, seized control of Gaza in 2007. Israel and Hamas have fought three wars since then.
The only @UN_HRC recommendation for Hamas was to stop "the use of incendiary kites and balloons." How about also recommending that Hamas stops inciting Gazans to breach Israel’s border to kill Jews?
Just a “recommendation.” pic.twitter.com/SNdvirudm2
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) February 28, 2019
Commission Chairman Santiago decried a “failure” of the international community to respond.
“The only way that we will find the solution to all the killings taking place is if the international community takes the responsibility of taking this issue more seriously, and finding a peaceful solution to this conflict,” he said.
Israel says its army is defending the country’s border against violent infiltration attempts and accuses Hamas of using the large crowds as cover to carry out attacks. Protesters have hurled flaming tires, grenades and firebombs at soldiers and attempted to cut through the fence with wire cutters. One soldier was killed by a Palestinian sniper last July.
Critics say Israel has repeatedly used disproportionate force in non-life-threatening situations. They point to the large numbers of unarmed people who have been shot, including women, minors and medics, often while standing hundreds of meters away from the fence.
While orchestrating the riots on Israel's border, Hamas was also responsible for firing over 1,300 rockets and mortars from Gaza into Israel during 2018. The number of times that this was mentioned in the @UN_HRC report? Zero.https://t.co/T9Uwp9Z2Bf pic.twitter.com/laszv8ys7l
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) February 28, 2019
Netanyahu, in a statement, stressed Israel’s right to self-defense and blamed the Gaza border violence on Hamas, which he accused of firing missiles at Israeli citizens and throwing explosive devices at soldiers.
“Israel will not allow Hamas to attack Israel’s sovereignty and its people, and will maintain the right of self-defense,” he said.
There was no immediate reaction from Hamas. The rival Palestinian Authority, which is based in the West Bank, welcomed the findings.
“The findings and demands to open an immediate investigation by Israel, the occupying power, is a step in the right direction, yet is not enough for establishing comprehensive accountability,” said Ahmad Shami, a spokesman for the Palestinian prime minister. “The international community must take its responsibility and provide international protection for the Palestinian citizens in every inch of Occupied Palestine.”
The @UN says these “demonstrations” aim to make a political point. How often does political activity involve breaking through a border with knives while shouting death threats?https://t.co/T9Uwp9Z2Bf pic.twitter.com/S9pDRNQtVY
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) February 28, 2019
The report was based on 325 interviews and meetings with victims, witnesses, government officials and members of civil society from all sides, and more than 8,000 documents.
The commission said it heard from 15 contributors from the Israeli side, including non-governmental organizations, but got no cooperation from the Israel government.
The panel said its mandate was to identify those it believed responsible for the violations, and it planned to hand over a confidential file with such information to U.N. human rights chief Michele Bachelet, who could hand it over the International Criminal Court and national authorities.
The Israeli government has repeatedly lambasted alleged bias against Israel by the 47-member Human Rights Council. The Trump administration pulled the U.S. out of the council last year, citing in part such alleged bias.
This @UN_HRC graphic is misleading and libelous.
1. The IDF would’ve had no need to shoot anybody if the “demonstrators” would’ve demonstrated and not violently rioted.
2. Hamas paid, drove, fed and gave free WiFi for the comfort of the images of Palestinian suffering. pic.twitter.com/9dZNT89gdH— LTC (R) Peter Lerner (@LTCPeterLerner) February 28, 2019
SHAME: Giant portrait of the mass murderer Che Guevara now on display at the United Nations in Geneva, home of its ironically-named Human Rights Council. pic.twitter.com/M01fCPMpRs
— Hillel Neuer (@HillelNeuer) February 28, 2019
(AP)
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4 Responses
The IDF went overboard and really provoked most of the violence here and Netanyahu needs to shut his mouth already.
TTSC, you need to shut your antisemitic lying mouth. The IDF was far too restrained. They should have shot every single person involved in the riots, just as in any war one shoots every member of the enemy army, not just those who happen to be holding weapons at the time.
Get these UN-Antisemites to live 6 months at the Gaza Border in constant fear and then talk.
Tens of thousands protesters trying to take down the security fence is considered peaceful not posing an “imminent threat”?!
TTSC, you should go to the gaza border and see whats doing there. the IDF uses as much restraint as possible. the IDF did most of the violence?? definetly not. the gazan’s should not have been rioting to begin with. they are getting paid from hamas to be there and you still say thats ok. what more should israel have to go thru?