Hamas War > UN Official unexpectedly honest about human shields

 

Human shields have been a way of life for Hamas since 2006. They delight in seeing civilians, especially children getting mangled and killed so they can show the world how awful the Jews are. Then they set up their command centres under hospitals, and their rocket launchers in school grounds. It would seem they really hate children.

UN Official Denounces Use of ‘Human Shields’

Sep 15, 2024 4:00 pm By Hugh Fitzgerald

Seldom does a UN official denounce Hamas for the way it fights its war, so that when it happens, it ought to be carefully noted in the media. But that isn’t what happens. Instead, the mainstream media either downplay, or leave out altogether, any denunciation of Hamas by UN officials. On September 10, the UN’s Tor Wennesland, the UN’s Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, delivered a statement, critical of Israel for the IDF’s bombing of a Hamas command and control center that was embedded in a humanitarian zone in Khan Younis. Amazingly, however, Wennesland also stated that Hamas must stop using human shields. It was a rare case of an attempt at “balance” by a UN official. More on his statement can be found here: 

A UN official said Hamas must

stop using human shields.

International media ignores it.

Elder of Ziyon, September 11, 2024:

UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wennesland, issued a statement condemning the IDF  airstrike in Khan Younis yesterday condemning Israel for hitting a civilian area. But his statement was unusually balanced for a UN official:

While the IDF said it struck Hamas militants who were operating in a command-and-control center embedded inside the Humanitarian zone, I underline that international humanitarian law, including the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precautions in attack, must be upheld at all times. I also emphasize that civilians must never be used as human shields.

Yet again, such actions only underscore that nowhere is safe in Gaza.

Wennesland appears to have added the statement about human shields to appear even handed. His tweet on the statement didn’t mention that part of it.

But Wennesland emphasized that using human shielding is unacceptable and said that was one of the reasons that “nowhere is safe in Gaza.”

And almost no one reported on this part of his statement.

The BBC quoted it without elaborating. So did some non-western media.  But most didn’t even mention that a UN official assigned nearly equal blame to Hamas as to Israel for its part in endangering civilians.

Typical is how the New York Times covered the statement:

Israeli [sic] has long said that Hamas embeds itself among civilians to use them as human shields. International law experts have said Israel still has a responsibility to protect civilians during its military operations. More than 40,000 people have been killed in Gaza in 11 months of war, according to the Gazan Health Ministry, whose figures do not distinguish between civilians and combatants….

Israel has a ”responsibility to protect civilians during its military operations.” And that is exactly what it does, as when it engages in colossal efforts to warn civilians away from areas and buildings about to be targeted. Already by March, the IDF had dropped nine million leaflets, sent fifteen million text messages, and made sixteen million robocalls to warn civilians away from dangerous areas, even supplying maps of where they should go to be in a “safe” area. No wonder that West Point Professor of Urban Warfare Studies, John Spencer, has said that “Israel has done more to prevent civilian casualties in war than any military in history — above & beyond what international law requires.”

The Geneva Conventions says very clearly: “The presence or movements of the civilian population or individual civilians shall not be used to render certain points or areas immune from military operations, in particular in attempts to shield military objectives from attacks or to shield, favour or impede military operations.”…

In other words, according to the Geneva Convention, using human shields to prevent attacks by an enemy on a military objective is inadmissible.

Israel has adhered to the “principle of proportionality.” According to Hamas, a total of 41,000 people have been killed in Gaza; Hamas does not distinguish between civilians and fighters. Of those 41,000, the IDF says 18,000 (as of September 11) were Hamas combatants. In addition, before the war started, about 800 Gazans died each month from natural causes — diseases, accidents, and so on. Assuming that same rate of death during the last 11 months of war, that would mean 8800 Gazans died of natural causes. Let’s do the math: 41,000 dead in Gaza, from which we subtract 18,000 Hamas combatants and 8800 deaths from natural causes, leaves us with a total of 14,200 civilians killed during the war in Gaza.

That brings us to the key ratio of civilian-to-combatant deaths. First, some context. According to the UN, in all the wars fought since 1945, the average ratio of civilian-to-combatant deaths has been 9:1. In Afghanistan, the Americans did better, with a ratio of 4:1, and in Iraq, they managed to attain a ratio of 3:1. But the IDF has achieved a ratio of 14,200: 18,000, which is less than a 1:1 ratio of civilian-to-combatant deaths. It’s an unheard of achievement in the annals of modern warfare. Tor Wennesland might want to look into that before he accuses Israel of violating the “principle of proportionality.”

Tor Wennesland has at least recognized, in a single sentence, the inadmissibility in war of the use of human shields, and he has recognized that Hamas has been doing just that. In fact, their use constitutes the very heart of the terror group’s strategy. Perhaps in a later statement, Tor Wennesland will allow himself to publicly recognize that fact. And the mainstream media might even choose to report it.

Don't hold your breath!

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Islam - Hamas War > Gazans confirm terrorists hiding in hospitals; Video of hostages in Shifa Hospital

 

Gazans confirm terrorists hid in hospitals,

posed as medical personnel

Terrorists in Israeli custody revealed to Israeli intelligence how Hamas terrorists would dress in medical and civilian clothing to hide in hospitals amongst Gaza civilians to use as human shields.

By Pesach Benson, TPS

Gazans in Israeli custody confirmed to interrogators that terror groups actively operated in Gaza hospitals and even deeply embedded themselves in the Palestinian Red Crescent Society in videos released by the Israel Defense Forces on Monday.

So far, 500 Palestinians have been interrogated by Arabic-speaking members of the IDF’s Military Intelligence Directorate’s Unit 504 at a detention facility in southern Israel, the IDF said.

In videos released by the military, three Palestinians explained to interrogators how terrorists from Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and other groups would hide in the Shifa and Rantisi Hospitals. Two of the three Palestinians were identified by name in the videos.

The first Palestinian, identified only as having been apprehended inside Gaza on Nov. 12, told interrogators that these terrorists — dressed in civilian clothes — would use the hospitals as a base for attacks. They would also disguise themselves as medical staff while hiding in the hospital.

“The doctors were furious because Hamas operatives and operatives of the other terror organizations were inside the hospital,” he said.

Asked how many terrorists he saw, the Palestinian answered, “I saw a lot of them, about 80, 90, 100. It reached 100 people.”

He added, “They dressed as nursing staff, but they were not nurses or doctors.”

Hamas terrifies Gazans

Hamuda Riad Asad Shamalah, an internet application engineer at Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry said that the terror groups also embedded themselves with the Red Crescent Organization, which has a 10-story complex. He said he went there with his wife and three daughters “because I thought it was safe and protected place.”

Shamalah said he wanted to find refuge, but then “the terrorists came and threatened us.”

He told his interrogator, “When the Hamas operatives remained in the compound, they continued to operate and hid the rockets and guns inside the mattresses. This was on a daily basis, no one can refuse them, if you dare to confront Hamas, they will kill you.”

According to Shamalah, the sheer number of people at the Red Crescent headquarters was what made the complex appealing to Hamas.

“We will become human shields because the IDF will not attack a place with 40,000 people inside. You want to fight, use a battlefield. If one of the rockets had exploded, it could have killed 50 of us,” Shamalah said.

Abdelrahman Ala Ibrahim Samour described to interrogators what he saw at the UNRWA-run Al Saweidi (Swedish) Clinic in the Shati refugee camp, and also at the Rantisi Hospital.

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“When I went to the Rantisi Hospital, I saw Hamas operatives who took control of the hospital.” There were around 100 of them, and they stayed in groups of four or five and they would sometimes leave to carry out attacks.

At the Swedish clinic, Samour said he saw seven Hamas operatives inside. They were dressed in civilian clothes, but when asked how he knew they were Hamas, he replied, “They were armed. And I know one of them was from Hamas.”

He said they came and went and appeared to feel safe inside the clinic, preparing for attacks inside the clinic and then returning “because it was secure, no one could locate them there.”

Samour said the terrorists did the same things at Rantisi “on a larger scale.”

“There were so many of them it was actually really scary. I was there for about five days and I was terrified.”

Shifa Hospital, located in the North Rimal neighborhood and boasting 570 beds, is Gaza’s largest medical center, serving the medical needs of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians. It was originally built by British authorities in 1946. In the 1980s, Israel renovated and expanded Shifa as part of an initiative to improve Gaza’s living conditions.

  IRAN THREATENS TO LAUNCH MISSILES AT HAIFA IF GAZA AIRSTRIKES CONTINUE

As far back as 2009, the Israeli Security Agency (Shin Bet) reported during the Gaza war of that year that Hamas operatives were hiding in the hospital and that the basement had become Hamas’s headquarters.

As the Tazpit Press Service reported, in addition to being used to hide Hamas leaders and hostages, the terror group is known to have launched rockets, tortured suspected collaborators, and hoarded a half-million liters of fuel in the hospital compound.

A senior officer in Unit 505 said that since Oct. 7, “We received thousands of phone calls from collaborators, on a scale never before seen in the unit.”

The officer added, “It is evident that the residents of the Gaza Strip are not satisfied with the barbaric behavior of Hamas, the ordinary citizen understands that Hamas is bringing a disaster on the residents of Gaza that will be difficult for them to recover from.”

IDF uncovers footage of Israeli hostages

being led into Shifa Hospital

NOV 19, 2023 2:17 PM BY ROBERT SPENCER

IDF releases surveillance camera footage from Shifa Hospital showing Hamas terrorists bringing a Nepali and Thai citizen who were abducted from Israel on October 7. pic.twitter.com/nmjlzkEdHw

— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) November 19, 2023

The Hamas propaganda is being exploded, but whether the establishment media and the other haters of Israel will take any notice is an open question.

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Gaza-area Israeli Farmers Sue Hamas in International Court

Jewish farmers fly to The Hague to sue Hamas for

harming civilians and civilian agriculture

Arutz Sheva Staff

A scorched field near the Israel-Gaza borderYonatan Sindel, Flash 90

After many months of incendiary kites and mortar fire, farmers from the Gaza vicinity flew on Monday night to The Hague to file a lawsuit against Hamas with the International Criminal Court.

The lawsuit, which will be submitted through the "Shurat Hadin" organization, will be on behalf of the farmers and another 50,000 people from Israel and around the world who joined the lawsuit against senior Hamas figures.

The suit will focus on Hamas violations of the Rome Statute, including the use of children in warfare, use of a civilian population as human shields, attacking Israel's borders, and the burning of civilians' agricultural fields via incendiary balloons.

At the same time, a special exhibition will be displayed opposite the International Court Building, documenting the damage caused by the incendiary kites and mortar attacks in the Gaza vicinity.

Since March 2018, terrorists from Gaza have traumatized the people living in neighboring communities along the Gaza border, sending incendiary balloons, bullets, and rockets into Israeli territory. These four months have threatened both the Israelis' mental well-being and their livelihood.

Nearly 10,000 acres of farmland have been scorched, decimating the region’s agricultural economy, and there has been a massive increase in the number of individuals experiencing and being treated for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

I think this is a great idea, but I also think that Israel should use drones to capture the kites and return them to Gaza.

U.N. Syria Envoy Warns of 'Perfect Storm' in Idlib

By Daniel Uria

United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura warned of a "perfect storm" facing the Syrian province of Idlib, where government forces, backed by Russia seek to eliminate terrorist groups. Photo by Olivier Hoslet/EPA

(UPI) -- U.N. Special Envoy to Syria Staffan de Mistura warned of a "perfect storm" facing the country's Idlib province Thursday.

De Mistra expressed concern for the residents of Idlib as President Bashar al-Assad's government forces, which are backed by Russia, are expected to launch an offensive to clear militants from the al-Qaida and Jabhat Fateh al-Sham -- also known as the al-Nusra Front -- militant groups from the area.

"While we are talking, there are some discussions taking place, and we hope that they will be fruitful but that doesn't mean that we should be not worried, on the contrary, we are worried about any hurried escalation," he said.

The Russian military amassed a fleet of at least 10 warships and two submarines off Syria's northwest coast in preparation for an assault on the Idlib militants on Tuesday.

Russia said the buildup was in response to possible airstrikes by the U.S.-led coalition against Syrian government forces and that rebels in Idlib were planning to stage chemical weapon attacks on civilians and blame Assad's regime.

On Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told Russia's state-run Tass news agency that militants in Idlib were trying to hold civilians hostage to be used as human shields after talks with Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Adel al-Jubeir.

"Idlib is the last major stronghold of terrorists who are trying to gamble on the status of the de-escalation zone and hold civilians as human shields and bring the armed formations ready for negotiations with the Syrian government to their knees," Lavrov said. "So, from all standpoints, this 'abscess' has to be liquidated."

De Mistra agreed the militant groups must be eliminated from the area, but called for more time to establish a method to keep the 2.9 million civilians in the province safe.

"There are ways to save people but we need the government to actually cooperate and provide guarantees for their own well-being with humanitarian presence," he said.

He expressed particular concern for about 1.4 million people living in Idlib who have already been displaced at least once amid similar assaults in Aleppo and Eastern Ghouta and would have nowhere else to go.

"So far, every time there was a crisis and there was a conclusion of that one crisis, there was a place where many could opt to go, there is no other Idlib," he said "It would be a tragic irony frankly, if at almost the end of what we consider at the moment in front of our eyes, a territorial war inside Syria, we would be witnessing the most horrific tragedy to the largest number of civilians."

It would be even more tragic if western powers get involved and run a false flag chemical attack and use it as an excuse to escalate the war. 

UN Blasts Hamas for Digging Terror Tunnel under Palestinian School, Endangering Children

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency blasted the Hamas terror group for putting young Palestinian students’ lives at risk.

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for Palestinian refugees announced on Monday that it has sealed a Hamas terror tunnel built under two of its schools in the Maghazi refugee camp in the Gaza Strip.

The tunnel was discovered at the beginning of June, after the Maghazi Elementary Boys A&B School and the Maghaz Preparatory Boys School had closed for the summer. The Jerusalem Post reported that UNRWA spokesman Chris Gunness has confirmed the sealing of the tunnel.

In a statement released when the tunnel was first discovered, Gunness said that “UNRWA condemns the existence of such tunnels in the strongest possible terms. It is unacceptable that students and staff are placed at risk in such a way.”

“The construction and presence of tunnels under UN premises are incompatible with the respect of privileges and immunities owed to the United Nations under applicable international law, which provides that UN premises shall be inviolable,” Gunness stated, adding that “The sanctity and neutrality of UN premises must be preserved at all times.”

In the past, UNRWA filed complaints against Hamas— the terrorist organization in complete military and political control of the Gaza Strip— for building tunnels under its premises, vowing that it intended to seal the group’s military infrastructure.

Heart of Hamas Strategy: Human Shields

At the heart of Hamas’s strategy is the use of Gazans as human shields–– a war crime and terrorist tactic aimed at exploiting the moral sensibility of the enemy.

Aimed mostly at fueling  propaganda machines to make Israel look like they are indiscriminately killing civilians when it is Hamas who are setting these civilians up as targets. And these same poor people vote for Hamas. What insanity!

On Thursday of last week, the head of the IDF’s Southern Command, Maj. Gen. Eyal Zamir, told reporters that Hamas had built tunnel systems beneath an apartment building and a family home in the northern Gaza Strip. “Our intelligence shows without any doubt that Hamas is building its infrastructure for the next round of fighting in the civilian arena,” Zamir explained.

The Times of Israel later reported that, despite detailed evidence provided by the Israeli military, Hamas dismissed the allegations as war propaganda to make excuses for any future action taken by the IDF in case of an escalation between Israel and the terrorist group.

The Palestinians' self-proclaimed knife intifada is the latest result of ongoing incitement against innocent Israelis. Israelis are being stabbed, shot and run over. Yet the world is silent. 

ISIS Targets Civilians in Mosul; Iraqi, Coalition Forces also Cause Civilian Deaths – HRW

Of Course, if these were Syrian forces backed by Russians, mainstream media would be screaming apocalyptic words. But these are Iraqi forces with American help, so all is quiet. 

Removing insurgents from among the midst of civilians is extremely difficult. Using bombs is quick but with high collateral damage. The only other way is to invade with a huge army going house to house. This would take more time and would probably still result in civilians getting shot by mistake, or, 'just in case'.

Either way, in American media, American actions will be justified and Russian actions will be vilified even if considerably more effective.

© Dabiq / Global Look Press via ZUMA Press

Islamic State has “indiscriminately’ attacked people who refused to retreat from the Iraqi city of Mosul alongside jihadists, Human Rights Watch said, adding that Iraqi and US-led coalition forces were responsible for civilian deaths.

Islamic State militants used mortar rounds and explosives against the population in eastern Mosul and deliberately shot at fleeing residents, HRW said on Wednesday. 

The terrorists were “indiscriminately or deliberately killing and wounding people for refusing to be human shields,” Lama Fakih, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch said cited in a statement published on its website.

Jihadists warned people by radio and via mosque loudspeakers that those who refused to retreat with them were “unbelievers” and therefore Islamic State enemies, in the same category as Iraqi and coalition forces. 

The witnesses, who managed to flee Mosul, told HRW of at least 18 deadly militant attacks on civilians in late November and early December. 

Those who escaped to areas controlled by Iraqi forces were threatened by IS sniper fire, car bombs and improvised explosive devices.

According to HRW, Iraqi troops and the US-led coalition were also to blame for deaths among civilians. 

Iraqi forces positioned soldiers in homes or on rooftops in densely populated areas, which were then struck by IS mortars. 

Witnesses also spoke of at least three instances in which “Iraqi or coalition airstrikes” targeted IS fighters located in residential areas, resulting in civilian casualties. 

Neither IS nor Iraqi forces gave residents a say in the matter when they placed troops inside their homes, they added. 

Nineteen people were killed and dozens wounded in such attacks from both warring sides, HRW said, adding that the numbers represent only “a fraction of the total” death toll. 

“Directly targeting civilians or using them as human shields is a war crime,” the human rights group stressed.  

“The presence of ISIS fighters among civilians does not absolve anti-ISIS forces from the obligation to target only military objectives,” it added.

Iraqi forces, backed by the US-led coalition, launched a large-scale offensive on Islamic State’s main Iraqi stronghold of Mosul in mid-October. 

Since the start of the operation, they managed to push jihadists out of several neighborhoods in the eastern part of the city. 

According to Oxfam, some 100,000 people have managed to flee the violence in Mosul, yet approximately 10 times more are still in the city and face a “dire humanitarian situation.”