The Middle East

Hamas Formally Rejects War Crimes Allegations

By Meredith Lee-Clark

Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

 

GAZA CITY, Gaza – Hamas submitted a formal response to the United Nations on February 3, rejecting allegations that it committed war crimes during the 2008-2009 Gaza War between Hamas and Israel. Hamas has been the governing party in the Gaza Strip since 2006.

 

Hamas’ fifty-two-page response said that the killing of three Israeli citizens was an accident and that Hamas only targeted military installations. During the twenty-two day war, as many as 1,387 Palestinians, including hundreds of civilians, and thirteen Israelis were killed.

 

After the fighting ended, the U.N. commissioned an investigation and a report on the hostilities. The mission was headed by South African jurist and former war crimes prosecutor Richard Goldstone, and the mission’s final report accused both Israel and Hamas of targeting civilians and other war crimes during the Gaza War. The Goldstone Report also called for Israel and Hamas to conduct internal investigations about the war crimes allegations. The deadline for submitting internal findings to the U.N. is February 5.

 

Human Rights Watch, which has also condemned Israel’s actions, responded to Hamas’ response, saying the party’s “claim that its rocket attacks against Israel are not war crimes is factually and legally wrong.”

 

Israel submitted its forty-six page response earlier in the week, likewise denying any allegations of war crimes and stating that two of its top military officers had been reprimanded for shelling a U.N. building where hundreds of Palestinians had been staying. Palestinian and human rights groups rejected Israel’s account; Amnesty International called the Israeli response “totally inadequate.”

 

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon said on February 4 that he could not determine whether Israel and Hamas had met the U.N. requirements for credible, independent internal investigations.

 

The Palestinian Authority said it would open its own internal investigation into Hamas’ actions during the war. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas had announced in the week leading up to the investigation deadline that he would establish a committee to investigate the conduct of P.A. security officers during the Gaza War. Fatah is the ruling party of the P.A., and has been at odds with Hamas since Hamas took over control of the Gaza Strip from Fatah in 2006.

 

For more information, please see:

 

AFP – UN Chief Uncertain if “Credible” Gaza Probes Underway – 4 February 2010

 

Ha’aretz – PA to Probe Alleged Hamas Gaza War Crimes – 3 February 2010

 

New York Times – Hamas Gives U.N. Response to Gaza War Crimes Report – 3 February 2010

 

Human Rights Watch – Gaza: Hamas Report Whitewashes War Crimes – 28 January 2010

 

Washington Post – Human Rights Group: Hamas Targeted Civilians – 28 January 2010

Hamas Formally Rejects War Crimes Allegations

By Meredith Lee-Clark
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

 GAZA CITY, Gaza – Hamas submitted a formal response to the United Nations on February 3, rejecting allegations that it committed war crimes during the 2008-2009 Gaza War between Hamas and Israel.  Hamas has been the governing party in the Gaza Strip since 2006.

 Hamas’ fifty-two-page response said that the killing of three Israeli citizens was an accident and that Hamas only targeted military installations.  During the twenty-two day war, as many as 1,387 Palestinians, including hundreds of civilians, and thirteen Israelis were killed. 

 After the fighting ended, the U.N. commissioned an investigation and a report on the hostilities.  The mission was headed by South African jurist and former war crimes prosecutor Richard Goldstone, and the mission’s final report accused both Israel and Hamas of targeting civilians and other war crimes during the Gaza War.  The Goldstone Report also called for Israel and Hamas to conduct internal investigations about the war crimes allegations.  The deadline for submitting internal findings to the U.N. is February 5.

 Human Rights Watch, which has also condemned Israel’s actions, responded to Hamas’ response, saying the party’s “claim that its rocket attacks against Israel are not war crimes is factually and legally wrong.”

 Israel submitted its forty-six page response earlier in the week, likewise denying any allegations of war crimes and stating that two of its top military officers had been reprimanded for shelling a U.N. building where hundreds of Palestinians had been staying.  Palestinian and human rights groups rejected Israel’s account; Amnesty International called the Israeli response “totally inadequate.”    

 U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon said on February 4 that he could not determine whether Israel and Hamas had met the U.N. requirements for credible, independent internal investigations.

 

The Palestinian Authority said it would open its own internal investigation into Hamas’ actions during the war.  Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas had announced in the week leading up to the investigation deadline that he would establish a committee to investigate the conduct of P.A. security officers during the Gaza War.  Fatah is the ruling party of the P.A., and has been at odds with Hamas since Hamas took over control of the Gaza Strip from Fatah in 2006.

 For more information, please see:

 AFP – UN Chief Uncertain if “Credible” Gaza Probes Underway – 4 February 2010

 Ha’aretz – PA to Probe Alleged Hamas Gaza War Crimes – 3 February 2010

 New York Times – Hamas Gives U.N. Response to Gaza War Crimes Report – 3 February 2010

 Human Rights Watch – Gaza:  Hamas Report Whitewashes War Crimes – 28 January 2010

 Washington Post – Human Rights Group:  Hamas Targeted Civilians – 28 January 2010

Syria and Israel Exchange Harsh Words

By Brandon Kaufman
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

DAMASCUS, Syria– Walid Moallem, the Syrian Foreign Minister, warned Israel on Wednesday about launching any war against his country, saying that such actions would result in a larger conflict.  In remarks made to Syrian journalists in Damascus, Moallem was quoted as saying, “Israelis, do not test the power of Syria since you know the war will move into your cities.”

During his session with reporters, Moallem was questioned about comments made on Monday by Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak.  Barak said that “in the absence of peace negotiations with Syria, we might find ourselves in a forceful conflict that could lead to an all out war.” In response, Moallem said such statements “heightened the risk of war in the region.”

Moallem warned that “if such a war comes, it will be widespread even if it is just waged against southern Lebanon or Syria.”  He added that there would be no chance of “peace negotiations being launched after such a war.”

In related comments, Syrian President Bashar Assad noted that “Israel was not serious in achieving peace and that everything showed it was working toward a war.”  Syria and Israel held preliminary talks mediated by Turkey back in 2008 over the Golan Heights which was seized by the Israelis after the 1967 war.  Since that day, little progress has been made on the peace prospects between the two countries.

In a stern response, Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman advised Syria to abandon its dream of recovering the Israeli held Golan Heights.  Lieberman further added that the Syrians “have crossed a red line that cannot be ignored.  Our message must be clear to Assad: ‘In the next war, not only will you lose but you and your family will lose power.”

Lieberman’s firm stance contrasted sharply with that of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who earlier in the week, stated that Israel seeks peace.  Netanyahu’s statements said that he “would be willing to go anywhere in the world, and doesn’t rule out assistance by a fair third party, to promote the political process in order to begin peace talks with Syria without any preconditions.”

For more information, please see:

Washington Post- Israel Warns Syria it Would Lose Future War– 4 February 2010

The Daily Star- Moallem Warns Israel: Starting War with Syria Would Lead to Wider Conflict– 3 February 2010

The Jerusalem Post- Assad: Israel Pushing Middle East to War– 3 February 2010

Female Suicide Bomber Kills Scores in Iraq

By Bobby Rajabi
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

BAGHDAD, Iraq – On February 1 a female suicide bomber attacked a procession of Shi’ite Muslims who were on a pilgrimage to the southern city of Karbala, located approximately eighty kilometers southwest of Baghdad. The attack killed at least fifty four people. Among the dead were many women and children. Additionally, over one hundred people were injured in the attack.

Major-General Qassim Atta, the spokesman for the Baghdad operational command confirmed that “a woman wearing an explosives-filled belt blew herself up in the middle of a crow of pilgrims going to Karbala.” Defense ministry spokesman General Mohammed al-Askari said that the suicide bomber came for Diyala province which has in the past been a stronghold of Al Qaeda.

Hundreds of thousands of Shi’ites pour into the streets for the religious rite of Arbaeen. It marks the forty days after the Ahsura anniversary that commemorates the killing of seventh century Imam Hussein. Imam Hussein’s shrine is considered one of the holiest places in Shi’ite Islam. Worshipers beating their heads and chests in ritual mourning. Due to risk of attacks, thirty thousand members of the Iraqi security forces were deployed to Karbala for the holy festival.

This was the third attack by suspected Sunni insurgents in the past week. Top Baghdad security officials have been forced to acknowledge that extremists are adopting new methods to outwit bomb-detection squads. Iraqi authorities lack enough policewomen to conduct searches at most checkpoints. Additionally, security forces have been reluctant to use bomb-sniffing dogs against people due cultural sensitivities. Atta insisted that security officials informed all checkpoints to be careful and to intensify the search procedures.

Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki’s released a statement blaming the Baath party. This was the party of executed Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. The statement said, “We hold Baathists and their Takfiri allies responsible for this massacre.” Takfiri is the term used by the Iraqi government for members of Al Qaeda.

US and Iraqi officials have feared a step up in violence from Al Qaeda in Iraq prior to the March 7 parliamentary elections. The elections are intended to serve as a large step towards reconciliation between the majority Shi’ites and Sunnis who lost control after Hussein was removed.

For more information, please see:

Al Jazeera – Deadly Blast Hits Iraq Pilgrims – 2 February 2010

AP – Female Suicide Bomber in Iraq Kills 54 – 2 February 2010

AFP – Female Suicide Bomber Kills 41 in Baghdad: Officials – 1 February 2010

BBC – Female Suicide Bomber Kills Dozens in Iraq -1 February 2010

Turkey Looks for a Solution with Cyprus

By Brandon Kaufman
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East

NICOSIA, Cyprus– As U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon arrived on the island of Cyprus late Sunday afternoon he had a message for both the Turkish and the Greek Cypriots.  Mr. Ban stated that “a solution is in reach.  The future is in your hands.”

Cyprus has been split into a Greek and a Turkish sector since 1974, when troops from Turkey landed in the north of the island in response to a coup by Greek nationalists.  Almost a decade later, the Turkish population in the north declared itself independent, but the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, or KKTC, is recognized only by Ankara.

When all is said and done, the fate of the peace talks is as important to Turkey as it is to the Cypriots themselves.  That is because an agreement on the island would remove one of the biggest obstacles for Turkey’s bid to become a member of the EU.  That bid for membership is currently being blocked due to the Turkish government’s refusal to recognize the Greek Cypriot republic, which is an EU member.

Furthermore, productive peace talks may enable Turkey to boost its attempts to become a regional superpower with very little, if any, problems in its relations with regional neighbors.  At the same time, however, the Turkish government is treading carefully.  They must be careful to ensure that they are not neglecting national interests at the expense of a solution regarding Cyprus.

Dimitris Christofias, the Greek Cypriot President, has been involved in unification talks under U.N. supervision with Mehmet Ali Talat, the Turkish Cypriot leader, since 2008.  Last week, Talat said much progress has been made on the delicate question of sharing power between the Greek majority and the Turkish minority, but no deal has been struck as of yet.  Moreover, many difficult issues such as property and security are still on the table.

Said Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish Prime Minister, “We are trying to get this thing solved within the year.”  He also noted that British Prime Minister Gordon Brown called him last week to determine whether Turkey was willing to undertake a joint effort to reach a solution.  Erdogan said that Turkey was willing to talk “without preconditions.”

For more information, please see:

Tehran Times- U.N. Chief Ban Ki-moon says Cyprus Solution Possible– 2 February 2010

The National- Turkey’s Eye is on Cyprus Peace– 1 February 2010

New York Times- U.N. Chief Offers Support for Cyprus Peace Talks– 1 February 2010