Posted on December 23, 2009 by realistic bird
by Fares Akram
GAZA, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) — After Israel’s massive offensive against the Gaza Strip in January this year, Palestinian Samir al-Attar was interrogated by Israeli authorities as a terrorist.
In less than a year, the 38-year-old Gaza resident faced interrogation again, but this time as a victim. He was used by Israeli forces as a human shield during the war.
Last week, he testified before Israeli military investigators who were looking into alleged violations by the Israeli army during the 22-day war in the impoverished Gaza.
Al-Attar, from Biet Lahiya town in northern Gaza Strip, was among the first arrested by Israeli army during its Operation CastLead which began on Dec. 27.
He and his teenager son were then forced to serve as human shields when Israeli soldiers were searching houses in al-Attatra neighborhood.
Al-Attar still remembered clearly that Israeli soldiers blew open his door and shot all around.
They “handcuffed us and led us up this road, using us as human shields,” he said while walking on an unpaved road through his relatives’ houses in the farming community.
Using his son as a prop, al-Attar showed how the soldiers rested their guns on their shoulders to fire when they were marching in the street.
“We were blindfolded and then led to a window. I was placed behind this window and the soldiers were behind me, shooting over my head, toward citrus fields,” he said.
When the war was over, the soldiers took him into custody in Israel for three months. His son Hussein was let go three days before the end of the invasion.
“They released me and told me to go home. I was scared they might shoot at me,” said Hussein as the scars of war still clear on his anxious face.
“Many houses were in ruins and the walls were riddled with bullet holes,” he recalled, adding that he found all the windows of his houses were smashed.
Though al-Attar is convinced that the war crime probe will not lead to any serious action against the Israeli army, he went to Israel to testify.
“I went there to give evidence that Israel committed crimes. Israel cannot cover everything up, because its crimes are crystal clear,” said al-Attar with a forced smile.
He believes that Israel “launched this probe in an attempt to stop international criticism after the Goldstone report.”
The report, authored by a UN mission led by South African judge Richard Goldstone, found evidence of possible war crimes and crimes against humanity by both Israel and Gaza’s Islamist rulers of Hamas.
The Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council adopted the report asking both sides to probe their violations.
The Israeli army has opened investigations into 23 cases of violations Israel committed in the operation which killed 1,387 Palestinians and wounded thousands of others.
The 23 cases are part of tens of serious violations highlighted by local and international human rights groups.
Khalil Abu Shamalla, head of the Gaza-based Al Dameer Center for Human Rights, said the laws of war make it clear that the warring party should distinguish between civilians and fighters and can not compel a civilian to play a fighter’s role.
“Using civilians as human shields is illegal and can be considered as a war crime,” he said.
Abu Shamalla said the Israeli Military Police Investigation Unit (MPIU) has no authority to investigate the decision-makers outside the army who were involved in policy setting.
“These investigations are being carried out by a body that is a basic part of the army and can not be considered independent,” he said.
Gaza resident Majdi Abed Rabbo, 40, is also part of the shield case. He also spoke out to the MPIU investigators though he believes this “might help Israel only.”
“Israel might use this in the media to tell the world that it started to investigate, then it would play the victim and show the international community that the Palestinians are guilty, not its soldiers,” said Abed Rabbo.
“I gave testimony because it can help let the world know about the sufferings we faced a year ago due to the so called mistakes of the Israeli soldiers,” he said.
Abed Rabbo told the Israeli investigators what happened during the ground operation in the Abed Rabbo neighborhood — to the east of Jabaliya refugee camp — which bears his family’s name.
“I was at home with my wife and son when there was a knock on my door. I found a neighbor was standing outside with Israeli soldiers, and he said they want him to help them check the area for militants,” said Abed Rabbo whose house was totally destroyed during the operation.
The soldiers forced Abed Rabbo to be a go-between to convince three wounded Hamas militants to surrender.
“I talked to the militants for six rounds, and at the sixth round they said they would shoot me if I come back,” he said.
Twelve hours after the standoff, the Israelis called in a bulldozer to tear down the building where the fighters were holed up, Abed Rabbo said.
Filed under: Politics | Tagged: attack, crimes against humanity, Gaza, human shields, Israeli crimes, Israeli policies, news, palestine, Palestinians, Politics, war crimes | Leave a Comment » GAZA, Dec. 22 (Xinhua) — After Israel’s massive offensive against the Gaza Strip in January this year, Palestinian Samir al-Attar was interrogated by Israeli authorities as a terrorist.
In less than a year, the 38-year-old Gaza resident faced interrogation again, but this time as a victim. He was used by Israeli forces as a human shield during the war.
Last week, he testified before Israeli military investigators who were looking into alleged violations by the Israeli army during the 22-day war in the impoverished Gaza.
Al-Attar, from Biet Lahiya town in northern Gaza Strip, was among the first arrested by Israeli army during its Operation CastLead which began on Dec. 27.
He and his teenager son were then forced to serve as human shields when Israeli soldiers were searching houses in al-Attatra neighborhood.
Al-Attar still remembered clearly that Israeli soldiers blew open his door and shot all around.
They “handcuffed us and led us up this road, using us as human shields,” he said while walking on an unpaved road through his relatives’ houses in the farming community.
Using his son as a prop, al-Attar showed how the soldiers rested their guns on their shoulders to fire when they were marching in the street.
“We were blindfolded and then led to a window. I was placed behind this window and the soldiers were behind me, shooting over my head, toward citrus fields,” he said.
When the war was over, the soldiers took him into custody in Israel for three months. His son Hussein was let go three days before the end of the invasion.
“They released me and told me to go home. I was scared they might shoot at me,” said Hussein as the scars of war still clear on his anxious face.
“Many houses were in ruins and the walls were riddled with bullet holes,” he recalled, adding that he found all the windows of his houses were smashed.
Though al-Attar is convinced that the war crime probe will not lead to any serious action against the Israeli army, he went to Israel to testify.
“I went there to give evidence that Israel committed crimes. Israel cannot cover everything up, because its crimes are crystal clear,” said al-Attar with a forced smile.
He believes that Israel “launched this probe in an attempt to stop international criticism after the Goldstone report.”
The report, authored by a UN mission led by South African judge Richard Goldstone, found evidence of possible war crimes and crimes against humanity by both Israel and Gaza’s Islamist rulers of Hamas.
The Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council adopted the report asking both sides to probe their violations.
The Israeli army has opened investigations into 23 cases of violations Israel committed in the operation which killed 1,387 Palestinians and wounded thousands of others.
The 23 cases are part of tens of serious violations highlighted by local and international human rights groups.
Khalil Abu Shamalla, head of the Gaza-based Al Dameer Center for Human Rights, said the laws of war make it clear that the warring party should distinguish between civilians and fighters and can not compel a civilian to play a fighter’s role.
“Using civilians as human shields is illegal and can be considered as a war crime,” he said.
Abu Shamalla said the Israeli Military Police Investigation Unit (MPIU) has no authority to investigate the decision-makers outside the army who were involved in policy setting.
“These investigations are being carried out by a body that is a basic part of the army and can not be considered independent,” he said.
Gaza resident Majdi Abed Rabbo, 40, is also part of the shield case. He also spoke out to the MPIU investigators though he believes this “might help Israel only.”
“Israel might use this in the media to tell the world that it started to investigate, then it would play the victim and show the international community that the Palestinians are guilty, not its soldiers,” said Abed Rabbo.
“I gave testimony because it can help let the world know about the sufferings we faced a year ago due to the so called mistakes of the Israeli soldiers,” he said.
Abed Rabbo told the Israeli investigators what happened during the ground operation in the Abed Rabbo neighborhood — to the east of Jabaliya refugee camp — which bears his family’s name.
“I was at home with my wife and son when there was a knock on my door. I found a neighbor was standing outside with Israeli soldiers, and he said they want him to help them check the area for militants,” said Abed Rabbo whose house was totally destroyed during the operation.
The soldiers forced Abed Rabbo to be a go-between to convince three wounded Hamas militants to surrender.
“I talked to the militants for six rounds, and at the sixth round they said they would shoot me if I come back,” he said.
Twelve hours after the standoff, the Israelis called in a bulldozer to tear down the building where the fighters were holed up, Abed Rabbo said.
Uprooted Palestinian
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