Israeli-Palestinian conflict (60 Viewers)
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Amnesty International urges Barack Obama to suspend military aid to Israel
The human rights group said it found evidence that Israel and Hamas had both used weapons supplied from overseas to carry out attacks on civilians, accusing both sides of committing war crimes during the three-week conflict at the start of the year. It accused Israel of using white phosphorous and other weapons from the US and said Barack Obama had a "particular obligation" to suspend military aid over their use.
Amnesty called for the UN Security Council to enact an arms embargo until mechanisms were put in place to ensure that equipment was not used to commit violations of international law.
"Israeli forces used white phosphorus and other weapons supplied by the USA to carry out serious violations of international humanitarian law, including war crimes," said Donatella Rovera, who headed an Amnesty fact-finding mission to southern Israel and Gaza.
"Their attacks resulted in the death of hundreds of children and other civilians, and massive destruction of homes and infrastructure."
The report also said Hamas and other Palestinian groups should be subject to the embargo because they had committed war crimes by attacking Israeli towns with rockets.
"Though far less lethal than the weaponry used by Israel, such rocket firing also constitutes a war crime and caused several civilian deaths," Ms Rovera said.
Both sides have dismissed the report.
Amnesty said it had found fragments and components of artillery, tank shells, mortar fins and airborne missiles and bombs in school playgrounds, hospitals and homes in Gaza.
In southern Israel it found remains of rockets fired indiscriminately at civilian areas by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups.
"We urge the UN Security Council to impose an immediate and comprehensive arms embargo on Israel, Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups until effective mechanisms are found to ensure that munitions and other military equipment are not used to commit serious violations of international law," said Malcolm Smart, Amnesty's Middle East director.
"In addition all states should suspend all transfers of military equipment, assistance and munitions to Israel, Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups until there is no longer a substantial risk of human rights violations.
"There must be no return to business as usual, with the predictably devastating consequences for civilians in Gaza and Israel."
The release of the report came as hundreds of travellers left blockaded Gaza for Egypt, in one of the sporadic openings that enable students, patients and others with Egyptian visas to cross the border.
About 1,000 university students and holders of foreign residency permits were eligible to cross, and by mid-afternoon Sunday, about 600 people had made the trip, border officials said.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...-Obama-to-suspend-military-aid-to-Israel.html
The human rights group said it found evidence that Israel and Hamas had both used weapons supplied from overseas to carry out attacks on civilians, accusing both sides of committing war crimes during the three-week conflict at the start of the year. It accused Israel of using white phosphorous and other weapons from the US and said Barack Obama had a "particular obligation" to suspend military aid over their use.
Amnesty called for the UN Security Council to enact an arms embargo until mechanisms were put in place to ensure that equipment was not used to commit violations of international law.
"Israeli forces used white phosphorus and other weapons supplied by the USA to carry out serious violations of international humanitarian law, including war crimes," said Donatella Rovera, who headed an Amnesty fact-finding mission to southern Israel and Gaza.
"Their attacks resulted in the death of hundreds of children and other civilians, and massive destruction of homes and infrastructure."
The report also said Hamas and other Palestinian groups should be subject to the embargo because they had committed war crimes by attacking Israeli towns with rockets.
"Though far less lethal than the weaponry used by Israel, such rocket firing also constitutes a war crime and caused several civilian deaths," Ms Rovera said.
Both sides have dismissed the report.
Amnesty said it had found fragments and components of artillery, tank shells, mortar fins and airborne missiles and bombs in school playgrounds, hospitals and homes in Gaza.
In southern Israel it found remains of rockets fired indiscriminately at civilian areas by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups.
"We urge the UN Security Council to impose an immediate and comprehensive arms embargo on Israel, Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups until effective mechanisms are found to ensure that munitions and other military equipment are not used to commit serious violations of international law," said Malcolm Smart, Amnesty's Middle East director.
"In addition all states should suspend all transfers of military equipment, assistance and munitions to Israel, Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups until there is no longer a substantial risk of human rights violations.
"There must be no return to business as usual, with the predictably devastating consequences for civilians in Gaza and Israel."
The release of the report came as hundreds of travellers left blockaded Gaza for Egypt, in one of the sporadic openings that enable students, patients and others with Egyptian visas to cross the border.
About 1,000 university students and holders of foreign residency permits were eligible to cross, and by mid-afternoon Sunday, about 600 people had made the trip, border officials said.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...-Obama-to-suspend-military-aid-to-Israel.html
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Palestinians pledge era of unity
Leaders of the rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah have said they are entering a new era of reconciliation, after talks in Cairo.
Delegations from each side, and other Palestinian groups, have agreed to set up committees to look at forming a unity government and holding elections.
The committees are to finish their work by the end of March, said senior Fatah official Ahmed Qurei.
On Wednesday both groups agreed to release detainees from the other side.
In another confidence-building measure, they pledged to stop attacking each other in the media to foster goodwill between the two sides.
'No choice'
Committees will also look at reforming the security services and merging Hamas into the Fatah-controlled Palestinian Liberation Organisation.
The talks were held at the office in Cairo of the powerful Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman.
He said there was no option but for the reconciliation process to succeed.
"We have no choice but to succeed and to move forward dramatically on the road to end division... You are responsible for your people," he told the delegates.
Solving Fatah-Hamas differences is seen also as an essential step if an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal is to happen - although with Israel also at a political crossroads analysts say that could be a long way off.
The Palestinian negotiating committees will next meet on 8 March to continue their work.
Gaza reconstruction
About a dozen Palestinian groups are taking part in the national dialogue.
The idea is to form an interim unity government that would prepare for new presidential and legislative elections and co-ordinate the rebuilding of Gaza.
The US, Britain and the EU have made clear that they would rather see non-partisan technocrats in control of the Palestinian territories than a coalition which includes Hamas.
Egypt is hosting an international reconstruction conference on 2 March at which the Palestinians hope to raise $2.8bn (£1.95bn).
A previous unity agreement fell apart after Israel and its international backers refused to deal with Hamas, which refuses to recognise Israel.
Inter-factional fighting in Gaza came to a head in the summer of 2007 when Hamas fighters ousted the pro-Fatah security forces and overthrew PA control.
As well as continued tension, both sides have been accused of conducting politically motivated arrests and the torture of rival faction members.
Egypt revived the call for Palestinian reconciliation talks in November.
However, Hamas withdrew from the talks, complaining that Fatah continued to arrest Hamas members in the West Bank.
Efforts to secure a reconciliation have gained strength since Israel's three-week military offensive in Gaza which ended on 18 January.
The Fatah and Hamas sides have fundamental differences over how to deal with Israel. While Fatah has renounced violence, Hamas refuses to recognise Israel. Hamas is prepared to accept a short-term truce but it reserves the right to fight Israel.
Palestinians pledge era of unity
Leaders of the rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah have said they are entering a new era of reconciliation, after talks in Cairo.
Delegations from each side, and other Palestinian groups, have agreed to set up committees to look at forming a unity government and holding elections.
The committees are to finish their work by the end of March, said senior Fatah official Ahmed Qurei.
On Wednesday both groups agreed to release detainees from the other side.
In another confidence-building measure, they pledged to stop attacking each other in the media to foster goodwill between the two sides.
'No choice'
Committees will also look at reforming the security services and merging Hamas into the Fatah-controlled Palestinian Liberation Organisation.
The talks were held at the office in Cairo of the powerful Egyptian intelligence chief Omar Suleiman.
He said there was no option but for the reconciliation process to succeed.
"We have no choice but to succeed and to move forward dramatically on the road to end division... You are responsible for your people," he told the delegates.
Solving Fatah-Hamas differences is seen also as an essential step if an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal is to happen - although with Israel also at a political crossroads analysts say that could be a long way off.
The Palestinian negotiating committees will next meet on 8 March to continue their work.
Gaza reconstruction
About a dozen Palestinian groups are taking part in the national dialogue.
The idea is to form an interim unity government that would prepare for new presidential and legislative elections and co-ordinate the rebuilding of Gaza.
The US, Britain and the EU have made clear that they would rather see non-partisan technocrats in control of the Palestinian territories than a coalition which includes Hamas.
Egypt is hosting an international reconstruction conference on 2 March at which the Palestinians hope to raise $2.8bn (£1.95bn).
A previous unity agreement fell apart after Israel and its international backers refused to deal with Hamas, which refuses to recognise Israel.
Inter-factional fighting in Gaza came to a head in the summer of 2007 when Hamas fighters ousted the pro-Fatah security forces and overthrew PA control.
As well as continued tension, both sides have been accused of conducting politically motivated arrests and the torture of rival faction members.
Egypt revived the call for Palestinian reconciliation talks in November.
However, Hamas withdrew from the talks, complaining that Fatah continued to arrest Hamas members in the West Bank.
Efforts to secure a reconciliation have gained strength since Israel's three-week military offensive in Gaza which ended on 18 January.
The Fatah and Hamas sides have fundamental differences over how to deal with Israel. While Fatah has renounced violence, Hamas refuses to recognise Israel. Hamas is prepared to accept a short-term truce but it reserves the right to fight Israel.