This January 12, Al Mezan Press Release deserves careful study. It shows in detail the effects of Israel's "Cast Lead" Operation in the Gaza Strip. The evidence presented here refutes the claims by Israeli political and military spokespeople that the IDF is doing its utmost to avoid civilian casualties and is acting within the framework of International Law. In particular Israel's claim that evidence for alleged war crimes is too generalised and lacks specific detail.

    I can verify much of what is contained in the Al Mezan Centre's Press Release from my own daily emailed reports gathered from many other sources. In a phone call to Jennifer Loewenstein (Associate Director of the Middle East Studies Programme at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Mezan Centre), the Director of Communications confirmed that the IDF's use of White Phosphorous has gone well beyond what is considered legally acceptable. White phosphorous has been fired intensively against civilian family homes and businesses in the crowded Jabalia refugee camp and in the small village of Khz'a, where victims of this weapon have been treated for severe burns and the effects of inhaling the chemical.

    In view of the evidence presented here and the outrage expressed by UN officials and medical personnel sharing the fate of the people of Gaza, we ask you to speak out in the name of justice and humanity. The eminent British medical journal The Lancet has felt compelled to condemn these Israeli atrocities. We find your silence incomprehensible.

Al Mezan Press Release – January 12, 2009:

IOF Continues Targeting Civilians in Gaza; Death Toll Rises to 876 and More Civilian Premises Destroyed

Moreover, at least 3080 people have been injured and/or maimed during the same period. This number includes at least 634 children and 395 women. During the IOF's military operations, it directly targeted 172 houses with guided missiles and shells. However, the number of houses that have been completely destroyed in these attacks is at least 472. Another 3000 to 4000 houses have been partially destroyed. The IOF also destroyed 38 mosques; 13 of which were directly and wantonly targeted. 39 schools were damaged, of which 5 (and one university) were directly targeted. IOF attacks also destroyed 42 public civilian facilities; including CBO offices and quasi-governmental institutions. Furthermore, it destroyed 107 privately owned workshops and small industrial and commercial plants.IOF also destroyed 90 police and security installations and 25 sites that were used for military purposes by armed groups.

The above figures do not account for the attacks that targeted open areas and fields, or the dozens of bodies that remain under the rubble in areas under IOF's invasion; especially in eastern Gaza City, eastern Beit Lahia and Jabalia as well as the eastern borders of Khan Younis, Rafah and middle Gaza district.

1. North Gaza District:

At approximately 2pm Saturday, 10 January Israeli aircraft fired a missile at a group of young men in the As-Salatin area, west of Beit Lahia, killing Ahmad Ibrahim Jum'a, 25, and Umar Jum'a, 19.

At approximately 2:30pm also Saturday, IOF troops stationed in the town of Beit Hanoun opened fire at the Al-Bora neighborhood, killing an 18-year-old girl, Nariman Abdul-Karim Abu Odeh from a live bullet to her chest.

At approximately 4:20pm Saturday, an Israeli drone fired a missile at a small crowd near Barrawi gas station in Beit Lahia, injuring a 40-year-old pregnant women; Wafa' Al-Masri, and another 24-year-old woman, Ghada Al-Masri. The pregnant woman had to abort her foetus and had her leg amputated. The other woman had both her legs amputated.

At approximately 4:45pm Saturday, an Israeli aircraft fired a missile at the As-Sultan apartment compound in Jabalia town. The compound's residents started to evacuate it. However, IOF fired artillery shells at the entrance of the compound as people were evacuating, killing three of them, two of whom were children. They were identified as:

• Ali Kamal Al-Nuthor, 12;

• Amer Kamal Al- Nuthor, 15; and

• Shadi Fatho Ijneed, 27.

Another 11 people were injured, including one child.

At approximately 5:25pm Saturday, IOF troops stationed in Jabalia fired 8 artillery shells towards the eastern parts of the town. Al Mezan's field worker reported that the shells were used for the first time. After hitting the ground, a light bounced from each shell, not very high from the ground. As they landed, they caused fires around it.

About 30 minutes later, an Israeli aircraft fired a missile into a crowd in Beit Lahia. One man was critically injured, as a result. At 6:45pm, an aircraft fired a missile at the house of Nafiz Al-Helu in northern Beit Lahia, killing two of its residents and injuring three, including a woman and a child. Those who were killed were identified as:

• Mohammed Nafiz Al-Helu, 22; and (his sister)

• Ameena Nafiz Al-Helu, 18.

Two minutes after, aircraft fired a missile at the Beit Lahia Park, destroying it.

At approximately 7:20pm Saturday, an Israeli aircraft fired a missile into a crowd of people who were sitting in front of a house in their neighborhood, killing 3 and injuring 6, including a 2-month-old baby. Those who were killed were:

• Rami Jamal Salman, 21

• Abdul-Mu'ti Ratib Sulaiman, 20; and

• Sami Umar, 35.

At approximately 8:25pm Saturday, Israeli aircraft raided a house owned by the Rayyan family in Jabalia, destroying it and damaging three neighbouring houses. No casualties or injuries were reported in this raid.

At approximately 10:10pm Saturday, Israeli aircraft raided the house of Waheed Ahmad in Jabalia refugee camp. The house was destroyed and three neighbouring houses damaged; however, no casualties or injuries were reported in this raid.

At approximately 2am on Sunday, 11 January 2009, an Israeli aircraft fired a missile into a crowd of residents of the Al-Karama apartment compound, killing Ibrahim Ayish Salman, 25. When neighbours tried to help the victim, a second missile was fired at them, killing Ala' Fathi Bashir, 40, and his 18-year-old son, Sohaib. Yet, when neighbours tried to help them, aircraft fired a third missile, killing a 40-year-old woman, Lamia's Hasan Bashir, and another 75-year-old woman, Jamila Hassan Zyadeh. Four other people were injured in this attack.

At approximately 3:35am on Sunday, Israeli troops fired an artillery shell at the Al-Karama area. The shell hit the house of Mohammed Khalaf and killed his cousins, Ibrahim Mohammed Khalaf, 35, and Bilal Yihia Khalaf. 25 minutes later, an Israeli aircraft raided the house of Tawfik Saqir, which is located near the Beit Lahia market. The house was destroyed completely and five neighbouring houses were damaged.

At approximately 9:30 am on Sunday, 11 January 2009, an Israeli aircraft fired a missile into a crowd of children who were near the Olo Al-Azm Mosque in the north of Beit Lahia, killing the four of them; three girls and a boy. They were identified as:

• Haitham Yasser Ma'rouf, 12

• Fatima Mohammed Ma'rouf, 16

• Khawla Ramadan Ghabin, 16, and (her sister)

• Samar Ramadan Ghabin, 14

On the next day, the body of 14-year-old Abdul-Rahma Ghabin was found, raising the casualties of this attack to 5 children. According to Al Mezan Center's investigations, these children belong to families who had evacuated their homes and took shelter in the Al-Fakhora School, which was shelled by the IOF. They went back home with their parents to pick up some clothing and other necessities and return to the shelter.

At 10am on the same day, medical sources at Shifa Hospital announced the death of 51-year-old Abdul-Hakim As-Sultan, who was injured inside his house in the As-Salatin areas western Beit Lahia.

At approximately 11:45am on Sunday, Israeli troops fired artillery shells at the Al-Jurun neighbourhood in Jabalia. One shell hit the house of Khalid Abid, killing his 25-year-old son Khalid, and injuring his 20-year-old daughter Shahira.

Later, at approximately 1.10pm Sunday, IOF troops fired artillery shells that hit houses in eastern Jabalia, killing Hueesin Nazmi Abu Sultan, 40, inside his house.
At approximately 3:05pm on Sunday, Israeli troops fired artillery shells at the Al-Bora neighbourhood in Beit Hanoun, injuring a child inside her house. She was identified as Dalia Fareed Abu Odeh, 12. Another woman, Iman Sami Nusair, was injured.

At approximately 3:35pm on Sunday, Israeli troops fired artillery shells at eastern Jabalia, killing a 12-year-old boy, Mus'ab Abdul-Muhsin Khadir, and a 15-year-old girl, Amal Najeeb Alloush. Another 5 people were also injured.

( Continues . . . )

    Murray McCully's refusal to “take sides” over Israel's war crimes in the Gaza Strip is a dereliction of duty and a disgrace to New Zealand. The Fourth Geneva Convention (1949) expects more than mere condemnation of grave breaches of international humanitarian law.

Article 146 states:

    “Each High Contracting Party shall be under the obligation to search for persons alleged to have committed, or to have ordered to be committed, such grave breaches, and shall bring such persons, regardless of their nationality, before its own courts. It may also, if it prefers, and in accordance with the provisions of its own legislation, hand such persons over for trial to another High Contracting Party concerned, provided such High Contracting Party has made out a ' prima facie ' case. Each High Contracting Party shall take measures necessary for the suppression of all acts contrary to the provisions of the present Convention other than the grave breaches defined in the following Article.”

    Speaking out in condemnation of Israel's behaviour and in support of UN draft resolutions that require Israel to obey international humanitarian law is the very least the Foreign Minister could do to show New Zealand's abhorrence.

    It is worth noting also the huge chasm that lies between Israel's conduct as a nation state and what is required of it in civilised international agreements. Consider Israel's self-styled 'targeted assassinations'.

Article 146 states that:

    “In all circumstances, the accused persons shall benefit by safeguards of proper trial and defence, which shall not be less favourable than those provided by Article 105 and those following of the Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War of August 12, 1949.”

    At 12:30, on January 2, 2009 in an assassination strike against Hamas leading figure, Dr. Nizar Rayyan, Israeli F16s destroyed two houses in the Jabalya refugee camp, killing 16 members of one family, including four women and 11 children. Dozens of civilians were injured and neighbouring houses were damaged.

    Israel does not consider itself bound by any agreement, convention or UN resolution with which it disagrees. Israel's conduct as a rogue state and the West's failure to condemn the cruel injustices it inflicts on a captive people leads to despair and desperation. The Zionist state's lawlessness plays into the hands of extremists, is destabilising, and imperils world peace and stability more than any other single factor.