Human Rights Watch: Palestinian Authority: End Rocket Attacks on Civilians

[Eugene]

Palestinian Authority: End Rocket Attacks on Civilians
17 Nov 2006 20:00:46 GMT
Source: Human Rights Watch

(Jerusalem, November 18, 2006) � The Palestinian Authority should stop giving
a wink and a nod to rocket attacks against civilians and take immediate steps
to halt them, Human Rights Watch said today. On Wednesday, a homemade
rocket fired from Gaza killed Faina Slutzker, a 57-year-old Israeli woman,
in the Israeli town of Sderot. The attack also seriously wounded a 24-year-old
Israeli, Maor Peretz, who according to media reports lost both of his legs.
Hours later, another rocket landed near the police station in Sderot, seriously
wounding a 17-year-old boy. Four other rockets landed in Ashkelon, an Israeli
town 8 kilometers north of the Gaza Strip.

-snip-

"The Hamas-led Palestinian Authority needs to take immediate steps to end attacks
on civilians by Hamas's own militant wing and other armed groups," said Sarah Leah
Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. "If the Palestinian Authority
aspires to recognition as a lawful government, it must stop these blatant
violations of the most fundamental principles of international humanitarian law."

Any party to an armed conflict is obligated to abide by international humanitarian
law, or the laws of war. International humanitarian law prohibits direct attacks
against civilians and civilian objects as well as indiscriminate attacks and attacks
that cause disproportionate damage to civilians. A prohibited indiscriminate attack
includes using weapons that are incapable of discriminating between civilians and
combatants or between civilian and military objects.

Human Rights Watch said that Qassam rockets, named after the armed wing of
Hamas, are by their very nature problematic weapons because it is not possible to
direct them at military targets with any degree of precision.

-snip-

Full article: http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/HRW/c3496691c93dbf148b459e85f771cacf.htm

[bemildred]

1. Good idea. nt

[Scurrilous]

2. Jihad says will consider Abbas' request for end to rocket fire

<snip>

"Islamic Jihad said Friday it would consider halting rocket attacks on Israel in response to a request from Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas.

Abbas met Friday with leaders of the group, which has carried out numerous suicide bombings and rocket attacks against Israeli targets, and urged them to halt the violence.

"Abbas said the truce is a necessity in the framework of national interest," said Khedr Habib, an Islamic Jihad leader in Gaza. "We said the truce must be mutual ... and part of a national consensus."

Islamic Jihad's Web site, quoting Khaled al-Batch, another leader of the group, said Abbas' proposal is "worth studying."

While Islamic Jihad is not the only group to fire rockets, it has repeatedly resisted calls from Abbas to end its attacks on Israel. A halt in rocket fire by the group would be an important accomplishment for Abbas, who hopes to revive peace talks."

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/789463.html

[IntiRaymi]

3. These rocket attacks are a bad idea.

They target people whose relationship to their struggle is incidental, at best.
On the other hand, the level of victimhood on the Palestinian side vastly exceeds that on the Israeli side. As usual, the Golden Rule takes effect: He who owns the gold, makes the rules.

[msmcghee]

4. Interesting proposition . . your's ..

that "they target people whose relationship to their struggle is incidental, at best."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestinian_Islamic_Jihad

Palestinian Islamic Jihad

Their goal is the liberation of all Palestine, destruction of the State of Israel and its replacement with a state for Palestinians. This group defines jihad as acts of war against Israeli Jews.

Doesn't sound very incidental to me. But then, I guess that's why you think that since "the level of victimhood on the Palestinian side vastly exceeds that on the Israeli side" that purposely killing civilians with rockets "is a bad idea" and not an international crime against humanity, the rule of law and world peace.

[IntiRaymi]

5. Semantics are your forte.

[Violet_Crumble]

6. But you were just in another thread arguing Abbas fired the missiles..

Now yr saying it's actually Islamic Jihad? Oh-kay...

[Scurrilous]

7. Hamas says it is willing to stop Qassam fire at Israel

<snip>

"Hamas told Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas on Monday it was prepared to immediately halt Qassam attacks on Israel from the Gaza Strip. The announcement came at a meeting on Monday of Palestinian factions, in which Abbas presented Defense Minister Amir Peretz's proposal for a mutual cease-fire.

The meeting, which took place Monday afternoon in Gaza, was attended by representatives of the five largest Palestinian factions: Hamas, Fatah, Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP). Khalil Hiya and Jamal Abu Hashem represented Hamas.

Abbas opened the discussion by reporting he had received a proposal from Israeli Defense Minister Amir Peretz for a mutual cease-fire. He said that as opposed to previous cease-fire initiatives, in which Israel made unilateral demands of the Palestinians, Israel would agree this time to stop the fighting from its side, as well. "I told Peretz that Israel must also stop firing," Abbas said of his response to Peretz's request that the Palestinians halt their Qassam attacks.

Abbas conceded, however, to those present that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's position on the cease-fire was still unclear, in light of media reports Monday that the prime minister had prohibited Peretz from meeting with Abbas."

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/790450.html