Response to Amnesty International's Report" Killing the Future:
"Children in the Line of Fire
For the past 2 years ,the IDF has been engaged in difficult and
intensive fighting against Palestinian terrorist factions .During this
period of fighting ,which was imposed upon the State of Israel and the
IDF ,Palestinian terrorist factions perpetrated over 14,500 terror
attacks ,claiming the lives of 624 Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers.
All IDF operations adhere to international humanitarian law ,in strict
compliance with the highest moral and legal standards .In glaring
contrast ,Palestinian terrorist factions defy all norms ,be they moral
or legal ,deliberately attacking civilians only because they are
Israeli ,as described at length in the report .Amnesty International
has labeled the Palestinian suicide attacks as crimes against humanity.
As part of its adherence to the rules of the conduct of war ,the IDF
goes to great lengths to avoid harming civilians ,especially children.
This concern is an integral part of soldier training ,of the
regulations governing when to open fire ,of orders issued by
commanders ,of operational plans ,and of the message conveyed by the
highest-ranking officers.
Regrettably ,some civilians ,including children ,have been injured
during the fighting against the Palestinian terrorist groups .In no
case were these injuries intentional .Those hurt were either
individuals involved in Palestinian terrorist activity ,or civilians
who were unintentionally hurt when they entered a live-fire zone.
The Palestinian terrorists are solely and unequivocally responsible
for the injuries caused to Palestinian children .Since the beginning of
the conflict two years ago ,the Palestinian terrorist factions have
cynically exploited children in terrorist activity ,in violation of
international law .Children are groomed and dispatched to carry out
;suicide attacks in the centers of the Israeli civilian population
positioned at the front lines of demonstrations to hide snipers behind
them ;and used to plant explosives and deliver weapons .Moreover ,the
terrorist factions have transformed Palestinian civilian population
centers into terrorist activity headquarters.
One must keep in mind that the Palestinian society and several
international organizations have denounced the abuse of children by
Palestinian terrorist factions .For one ,the UN Secretary General
."condemned the phenomenon in his report of operation" Defensive Shield
It must be mentioned that the Palestinians publicly acknowledged that
terrorist organizations paid Rafah Palestinian children 5 NIS) roughly
.equal to 1 ($each to thrust explosive charges towards IDF soldiers
Forty of those children were injured and became amputees) Alray
newspaper ,20 June 2002).
Unfortunately ,the UN report does not mention this particularly
abominable Palestinian practice.
Those who use children to perpetrate terror attacks and those who use
houses where children reside to coordinate and perpetrate attacks are
responsible for these childrens 'injuries.
Authors of the Amnesty report compare IDF operations in which
Palestinian children were killed to Palestinian terror attacks in which
Israeli children were killed .This comparison is unjustified and
baseless.
Palestinian terror attacks ,especially suicide bombings ,are designed
to cause the death of Israeli civilians ,including children .This is
ruthless ,unprecedented ,inhuman terror.
On the other hand ,IDF activity is conducted in accordance with the
laws of war and is not aimed at injuring civilians .Injuries are
occasionally sustained only because Palestinian terrorists act from
within Palestinian civilian population centers.
Hence ,equating the two sides is baseless ,and indicates a fundamental
lack of fairness amongst authors of the report.
The authors falsely claim the IDF does not investigate incidents in
which Palestinian children are injured ,and grants immunity to the
soldiers involved .The fact is that IDF commanders do investigate
incidents in which Palestinian civilians were injured .When suspicion
of criminal misbehavior by soldiers arises ,the Military Police
launches an inquiry .Since September 2000 ,the beginning of operation
Ebb and Flow ",over 220 inquiries have been launched by the Military"
Police ,including incidents in which Palestinian minors were injured.
As examples ,the Military Police launched inquiries regarding the
following incidents :the death of Palestinian children near Khan Yunis
on 22 November 2001 ;the death of Yasser Kassabi from Kalandia on 8
December 2001 ;the death of Muhamad Hassan Altalalaka near Beith Hanoun
on 1 March 2002 ;the death of children in Jenin on 21 June 2002 ;as
well as many other incidents.
The claims that incidents are not investigated and soldiers enjoy
immunity are false .The fact that the IDF investigates and establishes
commissions of inquiry ,even while in the midst of intense fighting ,is
part of its identity as a professional army.
The IDF is dedicated to upholding" purity of arms "and preserving
human dignity ,and regrets any injuries to innocent children .The IDF
emphasizes that the cynical use of Palestinian children by Palestinian
terrorist factions is the main cause of their injuries .The IDF
applauds the report's implicit condemnation of Palestinian terror
attacks against the Israeli civilian population.
www.idf.il/newsite/english/main.asp
