Gaza: Arms embargo needed as US sends munitions to Israel
15 January 2009, 12:00PM
A full arms embargo on all parties involved in the Gaza conflict is urgently needed to prevent further unlawful attacks and other violations of international law, as the civilian death toll continues to mount in Gaza. At least 900 Palestinians have so far been killed, more than a third of them civilians, including some 200 Palestinian children - as more US munitions are en route to the region.
"The last thing that is needed now is more weapons and munitions in the region, which is awash with arms that are being used in a manner which contravenes international law and is having a devastating effect on the civilian population in Gaza," said Malcolm Smart, Director of the Middle East and North Africa Programme.
Amnesty International says the UN Security Council must act now and impose an immediate, comprehensive arms embargo on all parties to the conflict in Gaza to prevent any further flow of arms to the warring parties.
"We know that the Wehr Elbe, a German-owned cargo ship, left the USA on 20 December 2008 with a large consignment - 989 containers - of high explosives and other munitions," said Malcolm Smart. "Hired and now legally controlled by the US Military Sealift Command, it is destined for the Israeli port of Ashdod and was due to transit via Greece, though its latest reported position indicates that the shipment’s route may have changed."
Tenders for two other arms shipments totalling 325 containers of US munitions were approved by the Pentagon on 31 December, four days after the start of Israel's current attacks on targets in Gaza. These two consignments were due to be shipped to Ashdod, Israel, from Astakos in Greece, but that particular tender has now been cancelled, according to information provided to Amnesty International by the US Military Sealift Command. Tender documents show that these shipments contain white phosphorous, known for its potential to cause severe burns and an indiscriminate weapon when used as an airburst in densely-populated civilian areas as now alleged in Gaza. The US Department of Defence says it is now looking at other means to deliver the munitions to a US stockpile in Israel. A US-Israel agreement has allowed US munitions stockpiled in Israel to be transferred to the Israeli Defence Force in "an emergency."
"The US government should not proceed with these or any other arms shipments to Israel, and the Greek and other governments should not allow their ports or other facilities to be used to ferry arms to Israel or the other parties to this conflict."
"The plight of civilians in Gaza has become increasingly desperate in the six days since the Security Council’s near unanimous, but unheeded, call for a ceasefire," said Malcolm Smart. "Israeli forces continue to carry out unlawful attacks, including attacks which are disproportionate, and stand accused of using weapons such as white phosphorous which pose an unacceptable risk to civilians when deployed in densely-populated areas. Meanwhile, Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups persist in firing indiscriminate rockets into civilian areas in Israel."
"In addition to locally produced arms, Israeli forces are carrying out unlawful attacks using foreign weaponry and other military equipment supplied mainly by the USA but also from other countries, while rockets and rocket-making equipment smuggled into Gaza from Egypt are being used against the civilian population in southern Israel," said Malcolm Smart.
A Security Council arms embargo is needed primarily to prevent new weapons supplies reaching the two sides, but it could also send a powerful signal to Israel and Hamas about the Council’s determination to uphold international law.
"The Security Council must insist on full accountability for war crimes and other serious violations committed during this conflict," said Malcolm Smart. "This means taking steps to ensure that alleged violations are thoroughly and impartially investigated, and that any persons found responsible are brought to justice in fair trials."
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Comments
Comments are submitted by members of the public and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or positions of Amnesty International Australia. If you find a comment objectionable please contact the web editor.
Sandy
22 January 2009, 10:59AM
Correction (add missing word):
UNRWA’s definition of Palestine refugees covers persons who lived in Palestine between June 1946 and May 1948, who lost both their homes and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 Arab-Israeli conflict AND ALL their DESCENDENTS. The number of registered Palestine refugees has subsequently grown from over 500,000 in 1950 to more 5 million in 2007, and continues to rise.
Sandy
22 January 2009, 10:56AM
Statements by UNRWA can’t be trusted….
UNRWA is by far the largest UN operation in the Middle East. Based in Gaza, with over 28,000 staff (mostly Palestinians and many of them discovered to be terrorists), and a budget of $480m pa plus $7.4billion pledged for 2008-2010 ...more than 13.2 times the aid of all other 11 millionrefugees in the world (all helped by a different agency, UNHCR with a tiny fraction of UNRWA’s staff and budget. Since 1945 about 100 million refugees have been resettled by UNHCR).
UNRWA’s definition of Palestine refugees covers persons who lived in Palestine between June 1946 and May 1948, who lost both their homes and means of livelihood as a result of the 1948 Arab-Israeli conflict AND ALL their . The number of registered Palestine refugees has subsequently grown from over 500,000 in 1950 to more 5 million in 2007, and continues to rise.
Sandy
22 January 2009, 10:41AM
Graham, of course you don’t suggest that anyone “protest the shipment of more munitions” by Iran to terrorists like Hamas and Hizbullah.
It’s easy to see whose SIDE you are on, Mr “human rights activist”.
Terry Spek
21 January 2009, 04:23PM
Annette, if the school in question was the recently reported UN school, then I find it highly unlikely that those 2 ex-soldiers knew what they were talking about.
More likely they were passing on what they had been told by there superiors to help ease there concious.
The UN has no interest in lying to the world about its staff being targeted by Israel, The UN is not interested in hurting Israels reputation, only in ensuring safety of its staff and furthering of its agenda for global stability.
maria bulat
20 January 2009, 11:13AM
responding to Annette-I’m not sure if Gaza had bombs except for roughly hand made scrap rockets When Israel plane dropped tons of bombs innocent people were killed-Israel did not allow journalists in Gaza-The soldiers had to be wrong no human father-brother-mother etc would push kids out of a safe haven
Annette Manson
20 January 2009, 04:35AM
Only 4 days ago I spoke to 2 ex-soldiers of Israel who have told me that they have inside information that the palistinians have fooled the media into thinking that Israel bombed a school full of children, when the Palenstinians removed all the children and were using it for their soldiers. Is there proof of what the media is portraying? They also said that the Palenstinians were testing out there bombs and it went horribley wrong killing many of their own civilians and they blamed Israel for these deaths too. It was very apparnet with the Iraq war that the media became a big part of the whole process, could this be what the Palestinians are about. Please find out the truth, don’t just act on what the media wants us to think.
maria bulat
18 January 2009, 12:15PM
ban all weapons from Israel and all nations
maria bulat
18 January 2009, 12:14PM
stop building bombs ban making them
John Ernest
17 January 2009, 02:52PM
I’m making up a sign I saw which is exactly the same as Israeli’s used recently in a demonstration in Tel Avi.
“PEACE NOW FOR ARABS AND JEWS” I’ll be using it in a peace walk tomorrow (Saturday) in Santa Barbara.
GrahamW
15 January 2009, 03:31PM
Thank you Amnesty Australia for keeping us informed of this activity. We need to make every effort we can to pass on this information. We need to make every effort we can to protest the shipment of more munitions by the United States to Israel. Please suggest people we can write to express or strong objection to this activity.
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