Are Israel and Hamas guilty of War Crimes?
Amnesty International believes both Hamas and Israel are guilty:
Amnesty International has called on the United Nations to impose an arms embargo on Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement.
In a new report, the human rights group accuses both Israel and Hamas of war crimes in last month’s conflict, and says both parties used weapons sourced from overseas in attacks on civilians.
AI singled out indiscriminate Hamas rocket attacks on southern Israel as well as Israel’s use of white phosphorous in densely populated areas, which is prohibited under international law.
Israel receives three billion dollars a year in US military aid, more than any other country. Hamas is believed to get military backing from Iran.
Is it possible to wage a war of death without creating some sort of human misfortune?
Where is the bright line drawn between “War Crime” and “Necessary Deed” in order to secure a border and protect a people?
We dropped the bomb and blew up the world in Japan. I’m not sure there’s any War Crime worse than that, David.
Ouch! That’s a hard, but true, point, Anne. There are War Crimes and then there’s blowing up an entire people. Some comparisons pale in the study.
I’m not sure what differentiates war crimes from just standard war. I’m not a huge war fan in any case. :/
In the case of Israel, Gordon, it seems “white phosphorous” was illegally used in areas with non-combatants. Is it fair to punish a civilian for the actions of a soldier?
Should the military be allowed to hide in churches and mosques for protection with the civilian population?