UN out of touch on cause of violence in Gaza

CNN:

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon again called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza on Saturday during a speech at the Lebanese parliament, where he cited heavy civilian casualties.

"The level of violence in Gaza is unprecedented," the U.N. chief said. "The Israeli aerial and land offensives against Hamas targets are inflicting heavy civilian casualties, widespread destruction and tremendous suffering for the entire region."

...

But still fighting continued Saturday, the three-week offensive claiming more than 1,000 lives -- many of them Palestinian civilians.

Two children were killed in an Israeli artillery attack at a U.N. school north of Gaza City early Saturday, an attack that illustrated the crucial need for the rumored cease-fire diplomats have been negotiating, a United Nations official said.

"This yet again illustrates that there is no place safe in the Gaza Strip," said Chris Gunness, a U.N. spokesman. "This fighting has to stop because innocent people, women and children, who are taking refuge in neutral U.N. buildings are discovering that there is nowhere safe." Video Watch a report on aid shortages to Gaza »

For its part, Hamas says a cease-fire alone is not enough.

...


The civilians that Hamas holds hostage to its policy of launching attacks on Israeli noncombatants are paying a high price, but then that is what Hamas wants to happen. Ban seems oblivious to the Hamas victim strategy and its cynical use of human shields. If the UN is going to have credibility in these situations it is going to have to have a more intelligent understanding of the strategies involved.

All Hamas ever had to do to stop the offensive and get a cease fire was to agree to stop the war crime of attacking Israeli civilians. Even with all the ruin Hamas has brought on Gaza because of its war crimes, it still is not willing to stop. Why doesn't Ban mention Hamas's responsibility for the deaths caused by its use of human shields? No wonder there is so little respect for the UN.

Comments

  1. Anonymous12:28 PM

    These people have been fighting about the same thing for 2,000 years and every couple years someone says there is going to be peace and it never lasts. The same thing will happen this time too. There will be a cease fire for a few days or maybe even a few months, then it will be more fighting. The thing that I don't understand is why they just can't live side by side in peace and respect each other's differences. What's the deal? Many other countries with diverse populations can live in relative peace. These two groups of people are just like immature 5 year olds who only know how to resolve there differences through violence. They really need to take a seriously look within themselves, forgive the past, and move on with living in peace. I'm frankly sick of both groups and all of their drama. Maybe I am wholly undereducated on the topic, but their disputes really shouldn't be that hard to solve.

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  2. David Sananman2:09 PM

    NO CEASE-FIRE. FIGHT TO WIN ISRAEL! CRUSH HAMAS AND WIPE OUT THE ENEMY. The "Filastine" Arabs voted for war in 2006 when they elected Hamas. They are all legitimate targets in a War, the undeserved food, electricity, water, and fuel that Israel gives them is thanked with suicide bombers and rocket attacks. There IS NO PEACE PROCESS, THERE IS ONLY WAR TO SURVIVE AGAINST THE NATIONS AND GROUPS THAT WANT TO SEE ISRAEL WIPED OUT. Patrick you are an ignorant moral relativist. Israel is HOME for the Jews. The Arabs are occupiers and trespassers who only want death and to kill Jews. Don't you get it. The cease-fire is a joke. Hamas needs to be exterminated. Fatah also, they are unreformed terrorists no matter what they say to the world (they call for destroying Israel to their fellow Arab terrorists and invaders) Israel is the mature one - offering land for peace, bending over backwards to let the enemy have a chance for peace and to build an (illegal) state. JEWS WILL NEVER FORGET - THE HOLOCAUST, 2500 YEARS OF OPPRESSION, THE WARS AGAINST IMPERIALISTS THROUGHOUT HISTORY. Judea (from whence the name "Jew" stems from, the very heartland of Eretz Yisrael), Samaria, and Gaza need to be freed from Arab tyranny and oppression and retaken by the rightful owners, the Jewish people. IF YOU EVEN GIVE ENEMIES LIKE HAMAS, HEZBOLLAH, FATAH, AL-QAEDA LEGITIMACY YOU ARE A TERRORIST SYMPATHIZER AT THE VERY LEAST.

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  3. Allan Goldstein, LMT3:42 PM

    "Oasis For Peace"

    Is it possible for Jerusalem to become an "Oasis For Peace?"



    I have posted a submission for the Citizen’s Briefing Book, http://citizensbriefingbook.change.gov/home. The Citizen's Briefing Book is being created from ideas by citizens like you and me.

    The submissions with the most points, based on votes, will be published in the Citizen’s Briefing Book. The briefing book will then be delivered to President Obama after he is sworn in.

    The theme of this submission is that we revisit the 1948 UN mandate to establish Jerusalem as an “International City.” I strongly believe that establishing Jerusalem as an International City is a key component to peace in the Middle East.

    Please vote for this submission to be included in the Briefing Book and forward this Email to your family, friends, and colleagues.

    You can vote by registering at http://citizensbriefingbook.change.gov/home .
    Then go to Foreign Policy and type in "Oasis For Peace" in the search box.

    If you are already registered with the Citizen's Briefing Book you can go directly to

    http://citizensbriefingbook.change.gov/ideas/viewIdea.apexp?id=08780000000517S&srPos=0&srKp=087

    If you agree with this concept and connect with this issue of Jerusalem becoming an “International City,” please vote and forward this Email to your mailing lists.

    Thank you,
    Allan Goldstein

    http://mindfulcoaching.wordpress.com
    http://oasisfromstress.wordpress.com
    allan@hawaii.rr.com

    ReplyDelete
  4. Allan Goldstein, LMT3:42 PM

    "Oasis For Peace"

    Is it possible for Jerusalem to become an "Oasis For Peace?"



    I have posted a submission for the Citizen’s Briefing Book, http://citizensbriefingbook.change.gov/home. The Citizen's Briefing Book is being created from ideas by citizens like you and me.

    The submissions with the most points, based on votes, will be published in the Citizen’s Briefing Book. The briefing book will then be delivered to President Obama after he is sworn in.

    The theme of this submission is that we revisit the 1948 UN mandate to establish Jerusalem as an “International City.” I strongly believe that establishing Jerusalem as an International City is a key component to peace in the Middle East.

    Please vote for this submission to be included in the Briefing Book and forward this Email to your family, friends, and colleagues.

    You can vote by registering at http://citizensbriefingbook.change.gov/home .
    Then go to Foreign Policy and type in "Oasis For Peace" in the search box.

    If you are already registered with the Citizen's Briefing Book you can go directly to

    http://citizensbriefingbook.change.gov/ideas/viewIdea.apexp?id=08780000000517S&srPos=0&srKp=087

    If you agree with this concept and connect with this issue of Jerusalem becoming an “International City,” please vote and forward this Email to your mailing lists.

    Thank you,
    Allan Goldstein

    http://mindfulcoaching.wordpress.com
    http://oasisfromstress.wordpress.com
    allan@hawaii.rr.com

    ReplyDelete

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