Amnesty International Australia urges ceasefire in Gaza
The head of Amnesty International Australia has written to both the Israeli and the Hamas leadership to urge an immediate end to the violence in the Gaza Strip and Southern Israel.
In letters to Hamas Political Bureau Head Khaled Mesh'al and to Israel's Ambassador to Australia Mr Yuval Rotem, Amnesty International Australia's National Director Claire Mallinson expressed grave concern at the escalating conflict.
She called upon the Israeli Government to lift the blockade of Gaza and resume humanitarian assistance. She also called upon Hamas to end indiscriminate rocket attacks on Israeli population centres.
Amnesty International Australia urged both sides to end attacks on civilians and abide by the requirements of international human rights and humanitarian law, including not using military tactics in civilian areas as this endangers civilians.
Further, Ms Mallinson called for both sides to establish a humanitarian truce so as to allow humanitarian aid to enter Gaza and to be distributed to the civilian population, and for damaged infrastructure to be repaired.
She urged respect for medical personnel and ambulances at all times and immediate and unrestricted access for humanitarian workers, human rights workers and journalists.
Ms Mallinson also urged both sides to work towards establishing without delay a thorough, independent and impartial investigation of abuses of international human rights and humanitarian law. This investigation should include Israeli attacks which have been directed at civilians or civilian buildings in the Gaza Strip, and Palestinian armed groups' rocket attacks directed at Israeli population centres.
"Evidence of war crimes and crimes against humanity is mounting daily," said Ms Mallinson.
"There must be full accountability for such crimes. Where appropriate, states must be ready to initiate criminal investigations and carry out prosecutions before their own courts if the evidence warrants it."
Amnesty International has also called for human rights monitors to be dispatched to Gaza and southern Israel with a mandate to investigate and report on breaches of international human rights and humanitarian law by all parties.
Comments
Terry Spek | Posted on 23 January 2009, 12:44PM | Report comment
Sandy, you seem to be unable to make the distinction between Hamas and the other civillians and foreign aid workers in Gaza.
Allegations have been made by several International NGO’s and civillians, these are the allegations that organisations like AI do fact checking on, and if meeting the criteria they clearly outline, report on.
Sandy | Posted on 23 January 2009, 12:34PM | Report comment
Terry
Yes, if its wrong, it’s wrong ...regardless who does it. AGREED.
But Hamas has committed MANY MANY wrongs…evident and proven, and from their own mouths.
I’m not convinced that Israel has commited ANY of the wrongs ALLEGED by Hamas.
Terry Spek | Posted on 23 January 2009, 12:00PM | Report comment
Sandy, read the charter of human rights, it clearly articluates what I see as “right” and anything that denys that to innocent people i see as “wrong”.
The faction or organisation that commits said “wrong” is totally irrelevant, its “Equally wrong” reguardles of the perpetrator.
Sandy | Posted on 23 January 2009, 11:50AM | Report comment
correction - that’s 900,000 Israelis (in the south) traumatised by mortar and rockets, because they have to be prepared, 24-hours a day to find a bomb shelter within 15-30 seconds
Sandy | Posted on 23 January 2009, 11:49AM | Report comment
“equaly wrong”??? What on earth do you mean? How do you “measure” wrongness? Hamas is a bunch of murderous thugs whose very charter is genocide, and that’s what it’s attempting to implement, since 1988. Since 2000, Israel has had 1,200 killed and 7,000 injured by terrorists, and 90,000 terrorised and traumatised by rockets and mortars.
Israel is a nation defending itself from them.
There is no “equivalence” here. There’s terrorist and victim; right and wrong. And smug moral equivalence just prolongs the suffering rather than “outing” the perpetrator and getting on with stopping him.
Terry Spek | Posted on 23 January 2009, 09:40AM | Report comment
Don’t be assinine, no on is suggesting that Hamas are in the right here, but you refuse to accept that the evidence that IDF are equally wrong for the tactics they are deploying.
Sandy | Posted on 23 January 2009, 12:21AM | Report comment
Terry, are you trying to tell me that 8,000 rockets and mortars terrorising 900,000 Israeli civilians who have to be prepared 24-hours-a-day to find a bomb shelter within 15-30 seconds is a “protest”?? I’d hate to see what happens when Hamas really takes the gloves off and gets mad…
Terry Spek | Posted on 22 January 2009, 04:03PM | Report comment
Sandy, you assume a lot.
By your logic Amnesty are obviously are biased against the chinese government too, since they failed to publicly condemn the fringe group of tibetans which acted against the wishes of the dali lama and protested violently in 2008…
Oh, and of course by your logic since 300 odd fanatics violently protested against the chinese government that would excuse the chinese goverment if they chose to say turn a city to rubble, murder women and children and use indescriminate weapons of destruction in build up civilian areas i guess?
Sandy | Posted on 22 January 2009, 10:29AM | Report comment
Why didn’t “The head of Amnesty International Australia” write to the Hamas leadership during the period 2000-2008, while over 1,200 Israelis were killed by terrorist attacks and Israel did nothing to relatiate against the 8,000 Hamas rockets and mortars fired at its civilians?
Yet suddenly when Hamas terorists are brought to account, Amnesty has on-line counters and barcharts of the Palestinian casualties (quoting unreliable sources), while ignoring Israeli casualties. Only after Palestinians suffer does Amnesty say “it’s time” for peace. When Jews are being slaughtered, they ignore it…
SHAME on Amnesty!!! A so-called non-political human rights organisation with such obvious bias against one people.
Terry Spek | Posted on 21 January 2009, 04:11PM | Report comment
And Steve, do continue blindly defending the Israeli governements decision to ignore the international community on basic standards of human rights.
You can’t honestly attempt to end terrorism by comitting atrocities against women and children, and consequently drive more civilians into the ranks of the terrorists you puport to oppose.
If the Israeli government were serious about protecting its citizens they would have attempted to foster good will with the palestinian civilians years ago rather than isolating them, persecuting them and ultimately forcing them to live in a state of constant terror.
Both sides of this conflict are acting like children with only vengence on there minds, they have no interest in the welfare of the civilians that willingly or otherwise get caught up in there crazy hunt for moby dick.
Steve Lieblich | Posted on 20 January 2009, 05:56PM | Report comment
Israel has for a long time said it wants an end to terrorism. If Hamas stops rocketing, there will be no military action.
Keep “wrtiting” to Hamas. You can rely on Israel to refrain from violence if she doesn’t have to defend her citizens.