Israel raid 'could be war crime'

international | anti-war / imperialism | other press Friday September 19, 2008 15:25 by pat c

Yes, it was a War Crime but I won't hold my breath waiting for NATO to bomb Tel Aviv. Full text at link.

A report to the UN Human Rights Council on Israel's shelling of Beit Hanoun in Gaza almost two years ago says it may have been a war crime. The report compiled by Archbishop Desmond Tutu casts doubt on Israel's explanation that the shelling resulted from a flawed artillery firing system. It calls on Israel to pay compensation to the victims, 19 of whom were killed. Archbishop Tutu went to Beit Hanoun in May, after objections by Israel delayed his mission several times.

The BBC's Imogen Foulkes in Geneva says the report contains horrific testimony from survivors of the shelling. It speaks of the dead lying in the streets, of local hospitals overwhelmed, and of the injured having to hand over cash to get through Israeli checkpoints for treatment in Israel itself.