Evidence of misuse of US weapons in Gaza
Amnesty International has released fresh evidence on the munitions used during the recent Gaza conflict, indicating in particular that both Israel and Hamas used weapons imported from abroad to carry out attacks on civilians. We have called on the UN to impose a comprehensive arms embargo.
Download the full report, Fuelling conflict: Foreign arms supplies to Israel/Gaza (587kb download).
“Israeli forces used white phosphorus and other weapons supplied by the USA to carry out serious violations of international humanitarian law, including war crimes. Their attacks resulted in the death of hundreds of children and other civilians and massive destruction of homes and infrastructure,” said Donatella Rovera who headed Amnesty International's fact-finding mission to southern Israel and Gaza. “At the same time, Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups fired hundreds of rockets that had been smuggled in or made of components from abroad at civilian areas in Israel. Though far less lethal than the weaponry used by Israel, such rocket firing also constitutes a war crime and caused several civilian deaths.”
"As the major supplier of weapons to Israel, the USA has a particular obligation to stop any supply that contributes to gross violations of the laws of war and of human rights. The Obama Administration should immediately suspend US military aid to Israel."
Malcolm Smart, Amnesty International Director for the Middle East
Even before the three-week conflict, those who armed the two sides will have been aware of the pattern of repeated misuse of weapons by the parties. They must take some responsibility for the violations perpetrated with the weapons they have supplied and should immediately cease further transfers.
“As the major supplier of weapons to Israel, the USA has a particular obligation to stop any supply that contributes to gross violations of the laws of war and of human rights. The Obama Administration should immediately suspend US military aid to Israel,” said Malcolm Smart, Director for the Middle East.
For many years the USA has been the major supplier of conventional arms to Israel. Under a 10-year agreement to 2017, the USA is due to provide $30 billion in military aid to Israel, a 25 percent increase compared to the period preceding the Bush administration.
“To a large extent, Israel's military offensive in Gaza was carried out with weapons, munitions and military equipment supplied by the USA and paid for with US taxpayers’ money,” said Malcolm Smart.
In Gaza, as the fighting ended Amnesty International researchers found fragments and components from munitions used by the Israeli Army - including many that are US-made - littering school playgrounds, in hospitals and in people’s homes. They included artillery and tank shells, mortar fins and remnants from Hellfire and other airborne missiles and large F-16 delivered bombs, as well as still smouldering highly incendiary white phosphorus remains.
"To a large extent, Israel's military offensive in Gaza was carried out with weapons, munitions and military equipment supplied by the USA and paid for with US taxpayers' money."
Malcolm Smart, Amnesty International Director for the Middle East
They also found remnants of a new type of missile, seemingly launched from unmanned drones, which explodes large numbers of tiny sharp-edged metal cubes, each between 2mm and 4mm square in size. These lethal purpose-made shrapnel had penetrated thick metal doors and were embedded deep in concrete walls, and are clearly designed to maximize injury.
In southern Israel, Amnesty International also saw the remains of “Qassam”, Grad, and other indiscriminate rockets fired by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups against civilian areas. These unsophisticated weapons are either smuggled into Gaza clandestinely or constructed there from components secretly brought in from abroad. They cannot be aimed accurately and stand no comparison with the weaponry deployed by Israel but they have caused several deaths of Israeli civilians, injured others and damage to civilian property.
“We urge the UN Security Council to impose an immediate and comprehensive arms embargo on Israel, Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups until effective mechanisms are found to ensure that munitions and other military equipment are not used to commit serious violations of international law,” said Malcolm Smart. “In addition all states should suspend all transfers of military equipment, assistance and munitions to Israel, Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups until there is no longer a substantial risk of human rights violations. There must be no return to business as usual, with the predictably devastating consequences for civilians in Gaza and Israel.”
Email Prime Minister Kevin Rudd now and tell him that you want an independent United Nations investigation into abuses of international law during the recent conflict in Gaza and southern Israel.
Comments
Marilyn | Posted on 3 March 2009, 01:27AM | Report comment
Steve you are a fool. Israel’s whole intent is to murder civilians you idiot. All of Palestine are civilians. They don’t have any military, or army, or navy or war planes.
You zionist morons make me sick.
James Fehon | Posted on 2 March 2009, 11:51PM | Report comment
This is a decades old conflict and as such Israel’s attacks can in no way be construed as self defence. There’s no grounds for such a claim in international law – This conflict is not a simple “We’re right, you’re wrong”.
This article calls for an independent inquiry – any one who believes in justice or in basic human rights would support this call, even if they’re supportive of a certain claim, they would enter into it to ensure it is truly independent and not biased against “their side”. There’s no room for inciting further hatred and division as some comments have. Work towards a resolution, instead of planting the seeds of future war.
James Fehon | Posted on 2 March 2009, 11:29PM | Report comment
Amnesty produces extensive reports on countries around the world each year addressing abuses not favouring any ideology, race or religion but responding to the issues & abuses documented. You know full well Amnesty International does not & will never accept genocide.
What facts are emerging? The Israeli Defence Force certainly has a policy of not targeting civilians, but the concern in this latest increase in violence was perceived carelessness (deliberate or otherwise).
The points Amnesty International raises are both that serious misuse of weapons (against civilian populations) occurred (the intentional misuse of white phosphorus in a urban environment is a war crime) & this conflict continues to be fuelled by weapons supplied by other countries. Supply of weapons to both sides should cease.
This article calls for an independent inquiry is certainly needed, precisely because of the misinformation (to which you’ve added) & lack of transparency surrounding these issues.
Steve Lieblich | Posted on 2 March 2009, 10:28PM | Report comment
Amnesty International is overtly biased in its criticism of Israel.
There have beed a TOTAL of 60 thousand deaths resulting from the Israel-Arab conflict since 1948, while over the same period, about 10-14 MILLION Muslims have been killed by other Muslims, around the world, including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Iraq, Iran and Sudan.
However, apparently Amnesty International accepts genocide by brutal regimes as “natural” events, worthy of only passing comment, while Israeli self-defence is subject to minute scrutiny and incessant, unsubstantiated accusations. This, despite the fact (only now emerging) that the vast majority of deaths in Gaza were terrorists, because Israel took such great care to minimise civilian casualties (while Hamas went to great lengths to MAXIMISE them).
What axe has Amnesty International got to grind?
James Fehon | Posted on 1 March 2009, 06:01PM | Report comment
Marilyn, the magnitude of abuses is definitely skewed, and I guess that’s why Amnesty International has been so critical of Israel lately and more recently extended criticism to the USA, implicated by its significant support (in this case in the form of weapons).
You’re right in that the two sides in this conflict are in no way equal. Those in this conversation defending Israel would agree with this too, though they might justify it somehow (the basis for this justification usually escapes me when they fall back to “we have more of a right” or some form of prejudice).
I want to see each side of this recognising the other’s rights. Israel has been allowed to control, crush and imprison Palestinians for too long. And unfortunately it’s exactly these right-wing policies that encourage a similarly aggressive response from Palestine.
It’s definitely not going to help saying it’s justified and I wonder how long it’ll be till those supporting Israeli military action realise this.
James Fehon | Posted on 1 March 2009, 05:43PM | Report comment
Any support for Israel that may be claimed of mainstream Australian’s is waning in light of it’s recent assault.
The overwhelming majority wants to see an end to this conflict – I hope even those here in this discussion can put their ideological differences aside and call for an end to fighting.
If you’ve commented on this article but not sent the email to Kevin Rudd mentioned in it’s final line, please consider doing so.
Call for an independant UN investigation, a return to dialogue and solutions found through peaceful means. This email is worded without support for either side, but a call for a return (or movement towards) respect for the rights of all people in Gaza and Southern Israel. This is a human issue which needs action now. Your wars have gone on too long.
Can we agree on that here?
Marilyn | Posted on 1 March 2009, 05:32PM | Report comment
Everyone deserves to be criticised for their abuses. Full stop. Fatah is the most corrupt party in Palestine but all human rights groups come from the stupid proposition that the two sides are equal and equally wrong.
Palestinians do no bulldoze thousands of homes, they do not build their homes illegal in so-called Israel, they do not starve Israeli’s to death or set up mammoth road blocks or imprison thousands of Israeli’s.
James Fehon | Posted on 1 March 2009, 05:20PM | Report comment
As fair and balanced as FOX news? JS, I like your response to being blatantly proven wrong (and in a quote from the very article in which you’re commenting). It demonstrates you’re comments are determined by prior convictions and not the context in which you’re making them, you shift tact and accuse your opponent of some other form of bias.
Use the search bar on this site, Amnesty is critical of abuses and war crimes wherever they occur. Type any country you want in there.
A contentious issue for sure, but so many comments on articles like these respond with minimal understanding or information. JS, Glenda if you look at all you’ll see Palestine is criticised for it’s abuses too. David Macilwain I think you’ll find that over the past 3 months there’s been consistent and categorical condemnation of exactly these abuses on Israel’s part.
Please everyone: start checking what you’re saying before making your claims!
Marilyn | Posted on 27 February 2009, 11:10PM | Report comment
Well gee, there is no evidence ever that Iran has been providing weapons to anyone no matter how often Israel and the US whine about it.
JS | Posted on 27 February 2009, 10:56PM | Report comment
Marliyn and friends, I am neither a Zionist nor a Jew, nor an apologist for them. I would not presume to speak for anyone but myself. You may not believe it, but I try to be as fair and balanced as possible. Your world view is very different from mine and indeed mainstream Australia’s.
James, while your point is technically correct that Amnesty does indeed make some comments about Hamas firing rockets into Israel, I find the vast bulk of Amnesty reports are anti-American and have tended to become more so over the years. Correct me if I’m wrong, but where is Iran mentioned in Amnesty’s website as a supplier of terrorist weapons or know-how?
Marilyn | Posted on 27 February 2009, 03:01PM | Report comment
http://informationclearinghouse.info/article22108.htm
And here is another inconvenient truth for the zionist bloggers who take over after every criticism of Israel.
James | Posted on 27 February 2009, 10:05AM | Report comment
JS, in response to your question: “Hamas has been firing into Israel from schools, mosques and homes - all civilian facilities. This is a war crime. Why has Amnesty never condemned this?”
Please read the article above that you are apparently commenting on. Third paragraph: “Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups fired hundreds of rockets that had been smuggled in or made of components from abroad at civilian areas in Israel…such rocket firing also constitutes a war crime…”
Amnesty has consistently condemned war crimes by all parties to conflict in this area, including rocket attacks by Hamas, over the years. Feel free to browse the Amnesty International news archives at http://www.amnesty.org/ for more information.
Stan Potter | Posted on 27 February 2009, 04:31AM | Report comment
JS in your response you say ... “but all facts have a context, and in this case the context is critical to understanding Israel’s response.”
The broad context is that Israel now has a long recent history of killing Arabs/Palestinians.
Of the 17,500 killed in Lebanon in 1982 many were babies. Robert Fisk, an eye witness journalist in Beirut at the time reported “I saw two dead babies who, when taken from a mortuary drawer in West Beirut during the Israeli siege of the city , suddenly burst back into flames”.
In 1996 there was a bloody massacre in Lebanon killing 106 civilians. The 2002 and in 2006 Israel attacked again,reducing much of Lebanon’s civilian infrastructure to rubble and killing 1700 people.
How do we think the relatives of the 400 babies killed last month in Gaza feel?
This is counterproductive. Israel is giving Jews a very bad name. My Jewish friends and many Jews are speaking out against this madness. Please look at the facts and join them.
David Macilwain | Posted on 26 February 2009, 09:52PM | Report comment
Thankyou Marilyn for speaking the truth. But does it help? I was considering ceasing my support of Amnesty for its pro Israel bias, and had an unpleasant argument on the phone with an AI rep who told me Hamas had used human shields and fired rockets from buildings. It took me a while to get over this, and what it said about the power of Israel’s misinformation. But now I see the Zionists are in our midst, and critising Amnesty for being anti Israel!
Re Hamas’ rockets, they might consider that they are aimed at the people “innocently” living in the villages the Gazans were driven from in 1948.
Marilyn | Posted on 26 February 2009, 08:00PM | Report comment
And Hamas has not been firing into Israel from houses and mosques. Teensy little things like roofs get in the way.
Marilyn | Posted on 26 February 2009, 07:55PM | Report comment
JS, firing little fire crackers at Israel as self defence is not self defence by Israel.
You zionists really do delude yourselves.
Gaza is surrounded. They have no army, navy or airforce. They have no means of escape and 80% of the population lives bordering on starvation.
Blockading food, water, electricity and fuel and medicine is a war crime.
Firing rockets after yet another Israeli massacre is not a crime and never has been.
It is a right for anyone under serious attack to defend themselves.
And Gaza is a special case because Israel is illegally occupying it.
One does not have to be a bigot to tell the truth.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1064161.html
This is a war crime.
http://www.humanrights-geneva.info/Gaza-Not-a-war-of-self-defense,4031
This is the legality.
JS | Posted on 26 February 2009, 06:58PM | Report comment
Stan, I would never accuse you of being insincere in the sense of lying. The word “disingenuous” also means deceitful or devious, and I used it in reference to the statements in your text. What you say may well be true, but all facts have a context, and in this case the context is critical to understanding Israel’s response.
Let me provide another example of Amnesty’s bias. Hamas has been firing into Israel from schools, mosques and homes - all civilian facilities. This is a war crime. Why has Amnesty never condemned this? What should Israel do to defend itself?
I will simply ignore Marilyn’s diatribe. Her spiteful bigotry does not merit a response.
Marilyn | Posted on 26 February 2009, 05:08PM | Report comment
For many months not one rocket was fired and the death toll in Gaza shows that Israel are the aggressors.
Israel control everything in Gaza, they have no legal right to attack them and they cannot claim self-defense against a few fire crackers.
Israel has the fourth biggest army on the planet.
The Turkish PM says it quite well dear.
“However, in comments likely to provoke further anger, Erdogan drew parallels between Hamas’s failure to recognise Israel and the refusal of Netanyahu, who has been asked to form the next Israeli government, to endorse a Palestinian state. “We are always telling them [Hamas)]to act differently, that we are for a two-state solution: Palestine and Israel,” he said. “They have to accept this, but Israel also has to accept Palestine.
“Is Israel right now accepting Palestine? They are still not accepting them. But it is being expected of the Palestinian people to accept Israel. Now go and ask Mr Netanyahu if he is accepting Palestine.”
Glenda Fawbert | Posted on 26 February 2009, 05:01PM | Report comment
Amnesty’s one sided anti Israel report is exactly what any informed person has come to expect from them. Where were their voices when the rockets were falling on innocent Israeli women and children? Nowhere to be heard. However let Israel dare to defend its citizens and it is regarded as the aggressor. Double standards, one for Jews/Israelis and another for the rest.
Marilyn | Posted on 26 February 2009, 04:32PM | Report comment
Hamas and the Palestinians don’t have any real weapons. They don’t have planes, or tanks, or navy ships, or helicopters or anything else.
With the bleat constantly that they must not “direct” their “indiscriminate” rockets at “Israel” AI and HRW always maintain that using precision weapons to murder is OK and that the “indiscriminate” weapons must not be fired.
In short the Palestinians are supposed to sit and be blasted by precision weapons and not fire “indiscriminate” weapons.
Bizarre reasoning used to pander to jews.