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
Stan Potter | Posted on 26 February 2009, 11:55AM | Report comment
JS in his attempt to justify Israel’s excuse for its disproportionate attack on Gaza accuses me of being “disingenous” i.e. insincere.
In the absence of any Israeli deaths during the 6 month truce before Israel’s attack could JS sincerely consider the following possible reasons for the attack:
1. it started 2 days after Christmas when the Western world was on holiday;
2. there was a power vacuum in the USA between Bush, a strong backer of Israel, and Obama, a doubtful supporter of this type of use of US munitions;
3. an election was approaching in Israel which as we have seen, would favour the politicians who could appear to be “tough”.
Sincerely, could these factors have influenced the attack more than rockets which killed nobody? Was the killing of over 1300 people, half of whom were women and children, and the maiming of a further 5000, and the use of white phosphorous in built-up areas, a reasonable response to a trapped people firing rockets that killed no-one?
JS | Posted on 26 February 2009, 10:34AM | Report comment
Stan Potter notes that no Israeli was killed by a Hamas rocket in the 6 months preceding the recent escalation. This may be accurate, but without proper context it is an incomplete and disingenuous observation. Hamas rockets continued to be fired at Israel during this period, and not just one or two but hundreds. That no Israelis were killed was a matter of good fortune, it wasn’t for lack of trying. What was Israel supposed to do - just let the rockets keep on coming because they were inaccurate, low tech and no-one had been killed?
Stan Potter | Posted on 26 February 2009, 09:28AM | Report comment
“If Hamas’ rockets stopped, then there be no reason for Israel to attack the Gaza Strip. Stop the rockets and suicide bombings, and peace will follow.”
This is clearly incorrect. In the 6 month truce before Israel’s attack on Gaza not one Israeli was killed by a Hamas rocket (although 12 Palestinians were killed by Israelis).
It is surprising that this is still used as a reason for the attack on Gaza when there is now so much evidence to refute it.
JS | Posted on 26 February 2009, 12:20AM | Report comment
The US or USA gets 10 mentions in the article. Why is there not even a single mention that many of Hamas’ weapons, including its rockets, were supplied by Iran? I am disgusted by Amnesty’s failure over many years to unilaterally condemn groups like Hamas for repeatedly and indiscriminately firing rockets into civilian areas of Israel, and Iran for supplying them. If Hamas’ rockets stopped, then there be no reason for Israel to attack the Gaza Strip. Stop the rockets and suicide bombings, and peace will follow.
David Macilwain | Posted on 25 February 2009, 06:38PM | Report comment
I am disgusted by Amnesty’s failure to quite categorically condemn ISRAEL for its massacre of civilians in Gaza, using every horrible weapon known to man, except nuclear, while bombarding our media with propaganda and preventing the media from witnessing the slaughter. We don’t now need to be told that Israel used arms from the US, but that the US was keen for Israel to try out its new weapons on a captive target that needed removing. If you want a more balanced view of the situation, I recommend reading Amnesty’s full report, including 15 pages of details of Israel’s war crimes, and details of all the weapons supplied by the US -including during the conflict. For there to be the slightest chance of Israel ceasing to use these weapons, or its own nuclear ones, Amnesty needs to stop being so ‘balanced’ and demand action against Israel now, before it commits more war crimes in pursuit of Greater Israel.
John Gourlay | Posted on 25 February 2009, 05:04PM | Report comment
Joan Dugdale is absolutely correct. It is up to citizens to ‘dry them up’. It is the shareholders, designers and workers of the armaments companies who we need to target. Imagine making a living making and peddling things that have one main purpose; to kill humans. Our Australian Government looks likely to announce that we are going to spend $25 billion on submarines. Who’s going to tell them we can’t afford them and don’t want them? It’s up to us to keep writing, talking and protesting.
JD&RZ; | Posted on 25 February 2009, 04:35PM | Report comment
Arms supply to either side is morally corrupt. Suppliers do not risk their own lives but profit from the deaths of civilians on both sides. When arms dry up, leaders may be forced to negotiate.
Joan Dugdale, Australia