Annan: Israeli destruction of Gaza towers illegal

Ha'aretz/Reuters ^ | 27 October 2003 | Reuters

[anotherview]

Last Update: 27/10/2003 21:25
Annan: Israeli destruction of Gaza towers illegal
By Reuters

UNITED NATIONS – United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan accused Israel on Monday of violating international law in destroying three Gaza apartment towers and urged it to end actions making a Middle East peace deal harder to reach.

"The secretary-general reminds the Israeli authorities that house demolitions amount to collective punishment, which is a clear violation of international humanitarian law," a UN spokesman said.

"During the past month, some 200 buildings in the Gaza Strip were destroyed, rendering more than 2,000 people homeless. In this connection, he deplores the destruction by the Israeli military of three 13-story buildings in the Gaza Strip on Saturday night," the spokesman said.

The Israeli army said it blew up the buildings in retaliation for Friday's deadly attack on the nearby settlement of Netzarim in which three soldiers were killed, two of them women.

Troops evacuated more than 2,000 Palestinians from surrounding homes before razing the towers, which the army said had served as staging points for the attack on Netzarim.

Annan's spokesman said the secretary-general believes Israelis and Palestinians will enjoy real security only if a comprehensive peace deal is reached "in which two sovereign and independent states, Israel and Palestine, live side by side within secure and recognized borders."

"He strongly urges Israel to cease and desist immediately from all actions, such as continued settlement activity and the so-called security fence, that make that outcome more difficult by creating unilateral facts on the ground," the spokesman said.

A resolution overwhelmingly approved by the 191-nation UN General Assembly last week demanded that Israel halt construction of a barrier cutting deep into Palestinian West Bank lands. The resolution required Annan to report back to the assembly within a month on Israeli compliance.

Israel, which promptly rejected the demand, argues it needs to extend the barrier, already 90 miles (150 km) long, to prevent suicide attacks on its territory. The Palestinians accuse Israel of using the wall's route to grab West Bank land and thereby preempt formation of a Palestinian state.

[anotherview]

Anything Israel does to defend itself, including blowing up empty, incomplete housing blocks used only as observation posts by terrorists is illegal in Mr. Cloud Monkeys eye's. (Kofim Annan is Hebrew for "cloud monkeys", and it seems to fit the U.N.'s Israel-basher in chief.)

some 200 buildings in the Gaza Strip were destroyed, rendering more than 2,000 people homeless.

Inflated numbers courtesy of the Palestinian Authority taken at face value.

[Savage Beast]

Calm down, Kofi. Brad and Jennifer are on the way!

[DianaN]

"Illegal"? So are blowing up Americans and Jews! Tough Kofi doesn't like it!

[DianaN]

There's NO reason another terrorist Islamist state should be created.

[Pro-Bush]

Illegal, my ass. It is only illegal if you let the UN say it is illegal.

[thoughtomator]

Suicide bombings in cafes and hotels qualify as "collective punishment"?

[concerned about politics]

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan accused Israel on Monday of violating international law in destroying three Gaza apartment towers

Israel has the right to blow up buildings on their own land. Maybe they were an eye sore.

[anotherview]

Kofi seems to like blowing up Americans and Jews just fine.

[concerned about politics]

"The secretary-general reminds the Israeli authorities that house demolitions amount to collective punishment, which is a clear violation of international humanitarian law,"

But Hamas blowing up bussess in Israel is just considered a hobby.

[Naspino]

I think it serves a good message. Blow up our buses and hotels and we'll blow up your apartment buildings. Only difference really is that people were IN the BUSES and HOTELS.

[anotherview]

Cloud Monkeys ping, or Kofi Annan strikes again

[concerned about politics]

"in which two sovereign and independent states, Israel and Palestine,

There is no Palistine. Those people are squaters. If you want peace, get them off Israels land!

[concerned about politics]

The Palestinians accuse Israel of using the wall's route to grab West Bank land and thereby preempt formation of a Palestinian state.

And the problem is.....? I wouldn't want blood thirsty terrorists as a neighbor, either!

[ImpBill]

"The secretary-general reminds the Israeli authorities that house demolitions amount to collective punishment, which is a clear violation of international humanitarian law," a UN spokesman said.

Gee, when is the last time, if ever, we heard anything from the Un that mentioned strapping homemade bombs on your belt and killing women and children were a "clear violation of humanitarian law"?

The Un makes me sick. How much longer are we going to have to suffer them and their pressence in "our" country?

[Herodotus]

I have no beef with the Israelis needing to defend themselves against Hamas/IJ/etc etc. snipers or bombers.

But killing a person to make an example frequently makes more enemies among the audience. Bulldozing his house, even if he were ambivalent or supportive of Israel or at least peace, is guaranteed to turn him against the person doing the bulldozing.

On tactical and strategic grounds, I _really_ have to question the utility of this reprisal stuff. It really doesn't work out to well in the long run. Far better to build nice houses for everyone else but the families that produced the bombers.

[concerned about politics]

Palistinians need to get out of Israel. Period. They can go settle in Africa. They seem friendly enough to terrorists. Let them move there.

[anotherview]

These buildings were nobody's homes. See: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1008466/posts. They were empty, incomplete, and used strictly to allow Palestinian terrorists to look down on the IDF and Netzarim. Even Reuters reported this, so you don't have to believe an Israeli source. If that is true, is Israel wrong to demolish empty towers used strictly by an enemy in a war?

Regardless, there has to be a price for terrorism. Palestinians are not displaced Vermonters who will suddenly embrace freedom and democracy if Israel just starts being nice to them. The only thing that works in the Arab world is strength. Look at the history of the region if you don't believe me.

[Diogenesis]

TODAY - The UN - Home of Terrorists, Murderers, and Slavers:

"Our leader, Abu Annan, says we don't need no stinking end of terrorism OR slavery
or BOMBINGS or killings of you Saturday or Sunday people.
So why dont you dhimmis give up, like the French."

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TOMORROW

[sheik yerbouty]

More feculent blather from "Famous Anus."