Amnesty Accuses Hamas of War Crimes

Amnesty International calls on the United Nations tosigned a ten-year agreement with Washington in
impose an immediate and complete embargo of arms2007 that plans to provide military aid to 30 billion
to Hamas Israel and other Palestinian armed groups.dollars.
The human rights organization issued a reportExcessive use of white phosphorus artillery including
previously regarding the foreign arms supplied to helpfragments of phosphorous weapons - tanks or tanks
Israel and Gaza, where she claims to have gatheredof rocket darts or debris found in homes, hospitals or
evidence that Israel and Hamas both of the weaponsschool playground...All these weapons were used to
used abroad, and specifically the United Statescommit serious violations of international law, including
between December 27 and January 18, the date ofwar crimes in Gaza and southern Israel, said Donatella
the cessation of fighting. We call upon the SecurityRovera. According to the defense of human rights,
Council of the United Nations to impose an embargosome or disproportionate attacks were directed
Until they found a mechanism to ensure thatagainst civilians or civilian buildings. Amnesty
ammunition and other military equipment are not usedInternational, in particular, the fingertip of the
to commit serious violations of international law, saidrepeated use of white phosphorus weapons against
Malcolm Smart, Amnesty director for the Middle East.Palestinian civilians in the densely populated areas of
At the site, we found many remains of weapons andGaza. According to the hospital, patients, including
ammunition used during the fighting. Through serialchildren, now burning white phosphorus, which does
numbers, we could determine their origin, with thenot always heal.
exception of an electrical component (missile engine)For his part, Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs said in a
produced in France, while the rest came from thebrief press release that all the weapons used were in
United States, said Donatella Rovera. The researcheraccordance with international law and the use of
for Amnesty International visited the site toWestern armies, saying that Israel has deliberately
investigate different types of violations of humanattacked civilian targets. Israel is a sovereign nation
rights in the Gaza Strip. Just arrived, was surprised bywhich is forced to use force to protect its citizens,
the number of remains found weapons includingwhile Hamas is a terrorist organization, said the
rockets and artillery. Hamas arrive without problem tominister. The conflict, which lasted 22 days, killed,
the source from abroad, including through a systemaccording to Amnesty International, more than 1,300
of smuggling is going on in part through tunnels intoPalestinians, including 300 children and 13 Israelis, all of
Egypt, he said. The Jewish State, for its part, haswhich Hamas is responsible for their death.