January 4th, 2009 by NGO Monitor Staff | Category: Durban Conference

Local and international NGOs continue to publish regular statements on the Gaza conflict. Many of their reports reflect Palestinian claims of “collective punishment,” Israel’s “indiscriminate” and disproportionate” attacks, and the selective exploitation of international law to delegitimize Israeli actions. Human Rights and Humanitarian organizations rarely mention Hamas’ use of human shields and its continued firing of rockets on civilian population centers in Israel.

NGO Monitor continues to document NGO statements on the Gaza conflict.

Click here for the complete list of sources

Some highlights below

Amnesty:Israel/OPT: Immediate access to humanitarian workers and observers essential,” December 31, 2008

o       “As attacks continue, Amnesty International called on the Israeli authorities, the Hamas de-facto administration and all other Palestinian armed groups to stop all unlawful attacks.  They must not target civilians and buildings not being used for military purposes, whether through air or artillery strikes or home-made rockets, and must take all precautions necessary to protect civilians from the dangers caused by military operations.”

o       “The Israeli army must not carry out attacks which pose a disproportionate risk to civilians. They must always choose means and methods of attack that are least likely to harm civilians.”

*In the “Examples” section, the only deaths chronicled are of children.

Al Mezan: “IOF Continues to Perpetrate War Crimes in Gaza; Targets an Ambulance Crew and Other Civilian Objects - Number of Palestinian Casualties Rises to 315 (41 Children) & the Injured 939 (85 Children),” December 31, 2008

o       “…the IOF has perpetrated grave breaches of the International Humanitarian Law (IHL), amounting to war crimes and crimes against humanity, in the course of its military actions in

Gaza. The Center also asserts that the vast majority of IOF’s targets in Gaza are civilian targets that must not be deliberately targeted. This includes houses, mosques, police stations and at least one ambulance. Most of the casualties are not combatants and were not involved in any hostilities when they were targeted by IOF. This behavior reflects a blatant disregard of civilian life and of the international law that is supposed to protect it.”

Human Rights Watch: Questions & Answers Section, added December 31, 2008

• “As noted, Human Rights Watch considers the situation in Gaza to continue to be an occupation, despite the pullout of Israeli forces and settlers in 2005, because Israel still exercises control over Gaza’s airspace, sea space, and land borders, as well as its electricity, water, sewage, and telecommunications networks and population registry.”  This claim largely parrots a 2005 PLO “legal opinion”.  NGO Monitor has sent repeated requests to HRW seeking the basis of its accusation that Israel controls Gaza’s population registry.  HRW has refused to respond.
• “Police stations are presumptively civilian objects. However, if a police station is being used for military purposes, such as a Hamas military headquarters or a place to store weapons for use in fighting, that station could be subject to lawful attack.”
• “The rockets fired by Hamas - locally made Qassam rockets and some more advanced Russian-designed “Grad” rockets - are considered to be so inaccurate as to be incapable of being aimed in a manner to discriminate between military targets and civilian objects, at least when, as has been the case, they are targeting populated areas. Statements from Hamas officials indicate that they are directing their rockets at Israeli population centers. The use of such rockets against civilian areas violates the prohibition on deliberate and indiscriminate attacks.”
• “ Israel’s continuing blockade of the Gaza Strip, a measure that is depriving its population of food, fuel, and basic services, constitutes a form of collective punishment in violation of international humanitarian law.”