Israel fears wave of war crimes lawsuits over Gaza offensive

[subsuelo]

Israel is preparing for a wave of lawsuits by pro-Palestinian organizations overseas against Israelis involved in the Gaza fighting, claiming they were responsible for war crimes due to the harsh results stemming from the IDF's actions against Palestinian civilians and their property.

Senior Israeli ministers have expressed serious fears during the past few days about the possibility that Israel will be pressed to agree to an international investigation of the losses among non-combatants during Operation Cast Lead; or alternately, that Israelis will be faced with personal suits, such as happened to Israeli officers who were accused of war crimes in Britain for their actions during the second intifada.

When the scale of the damage in Gaza becomes clear, I will no longer take a vacation in Amsterdam, only at the international court in The Hague," said one minister. It was not clear whether he was trying to make a joke or not.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1056677.html">Haaretz - read more

[ixion]

1. perhaps they should have thought of that prior to committing war crimes

but, hey, I guess hindsight is 20/20. :eyes:

[RC]

2. But..., but..., but... Israel is back by the United States. They can legally do war crimes.

[tularetom]

3. Israel has used up all the slack the world cut it

Because of the circumstances of the birth and background of Israel, most of the world was willing to give it a pass on whatever it had to do to defend itself. I'm afraid the pass has expired. The victims have become the oppressors, with a similar sense of entitlement.

I won't be surprised to see the unnamed minister's prediction come true.

[bushmeister0]

4. Israeli officials buy into "stay-cations."

I like this bit:

"'When the scale of the damage in Gaza becomes clear, I will no longer take a vacation in Amsterdam, only at the international court in The Hague,' said one minister. It was not clear whether he was trying to make a joke or not."

Oh, it''s not joke. Just like Henery Kissinger and Rummy are staying at home these days after Pinchet got arrested in the UK.

Something tells me W. will be stickign close to home, too.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

5. The IDF knew it was coming after Lebanon

Seems like every 3rd solider had a video cam from the videos they have been posting on You Tube. Have to assume they also captured information on artillery and air strikes as well. The IDF should have some data packages like has never been seen in combat.

There will most likely not be any ICC action on this. Israel is not a signatory. However, some countries assert long arm status and local prosecutors will try and go after higher ranking Israelis for actions taken or not taken. None of the actions taken after Lebanon or the intifadas has amounted to anything other than an inconvenience and some few column inches in print. As a practical matter, it means that most high ranking Israelis will get diplomatic immunity for the rest of their lives.

The combat in Gaza points out several things such as:
- How can international law be enforced is the nations can just say "NO"
- How fuzzy state of international law is (its far from clear)
- That the current rules of war (Geneva Accords etc) are woefully behind what is being fielded
- That the current rules of war (Geneva Accords etc) do not adequately address irregular forces and asymmetric combat

[Scurrilous]

6. Israel fends off censure over Gaza civilian deaths

<snip>

"Palestinian civilian deaths in the Gaza Strip were a "product of circumstance," Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said on Monday.

"We had to carry out this operation. I am at peace with the fact that we did it," Livni, a centrist who is running for prime minister in a February 10 election, told Israel Radio.

Israel's Gaza offensive, launched on December 27 to counter Palestinian rocket attacks and suspended on Sunday, killed more than 1,300 Palestinians. Gazan rights groups said 700 civilians died, many of them children.

Asked about the civilian death toll, Livni said, "it was a product of circumstance." She blamed the ruling Islamist Hamas in Gaza for fighting from within population centers.

"We seek out the terrorists, and it can happen that civilians are sometimes hurt in the fight against terror."

She added: "We should not take this lightly. These matters will present us with a complicated task ... The consequences, in the context of civilians casualties, are something we have to deal with, among ourselves and in facing the world."

more

[subsuelo]

7. "I am at peace with the fact that we did it"

Spoken like a true terrorist