8 I LOCAL & NATIONAL NEWS Passion Islam I April 2009
Guardian documents
new Israeli war crimes
A leading British daily reported that
it had compiled detailed evidence
of alleged war crimes committed
by Israel in its latest slaughter of
Palestinians in Gaza.
Three films made by the Guardian
during a month-long investigation
documents the use of Palestinian
children as human shields, the
targeting of medics and hospitals, and
drone aircraft firing on civilians.
Some of the most damning
testimony came from three teenage
when they tried to tend to the Gaza, shooting Palestinian children,
brothers in the al-Attar family, who
wounded.
bulldozing a house with a woman and
describe how they were taken from
There was further testimony of
child inside and shelling a building
their home at gunpoint, made to
missile attacks by Israeli drones on
they had ordered civilians to enter a
kneel in front of tanks to deter Hamas clearly distinguishable civilian targets,
day earlier.
fighters from firing at them and sent including in one case, a family of six
by Israeli soldiers into Palestinian being killed when a missile hit the
The Guardian said its documented
houses to clear them. courtyard of their house.
evidence was further supported by the
Evidence was also gathered from Israeli troops were also accused in
findings of human rights organisations
Palestinian medics and ambulance a UN report of using a Palestinian child
and soldiers’ testimony recently
drivers who said they were targeted as a human shield during fighting in
published in the Israeli press.
UK checking foreign arms
used in Israeli massacres
The British government is carrying out peace groups say breaches the UK’s aircraft are made in the UK that were
its own investigations into what foreign own guidelines not to sell military used to target Palestinian civilians
arms were supplied and used during equipment that risks being used and demolish thousands of homes
Israel’s latest massacre of more than for external aggression or internal and Gaza’s infrastructure.
1,300 Palestinians in Gaza, Foreign repression. Last month, Amnesty International
Office Minister Lord Malloch-Brown According to the Campaign Against arms controls campaigner Oliver
has revealed. the Arms Trade, licences approved Sprague criticized the British
“When that process is complete last year included components government for not revealing whether
we will make the information available for combat aircraft, for electronic it has physically checked if British-
to Parliament,” Malloch-Brown said in warfare equipment, for naval radars, made engines have been ending up
a written reply to MPs published last for surface-to-air missiles, weapons in Israeli drones.
month. He said that the assessment sight equipment, general naval “In cases like these if the
was based on a “variety of sources” vessel components and military government doesn’t proactively check
but was no more specific. communications. on where UK equipment ends up it will
His disclosure comes after Middle Other supplies have included never be able to guarantee that arms
East Minister Bill Rammell told the Head-Up Displays for US F-16 sales won’t end up fuelling human
Foreign Affairs Committee earlier this fighter aircraft and Apache combat rights violations,” Sprague warned.
month that it has not been clear what helicopters, which reportedly have There have also been reports that
equipment was used by the Israeli been used by Israel in the past to new US Dime bombs were supplied
Defence Forces in Gaza. bomb both Lebanese and Palestinian through the UK to Israel last year
Over recent years, the British towns and villages. that caused previously unknown
government has licensed arms British MPs have been calling for a and horrific injuries to Palestinian
exports to Israel worth between £10 full account of arms exports to Israel civilians.
million and £25 million annually, which amid concern that engines for drone www.passionislam.com
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