Perverse Spin, War Crimes, Ethnic Annihilation

War crimes and Ethnic Annihilation:

Ban 'appalled' by Gaza's damage
Gaza 'looks like earthquake zone'
New evidence of Gaza child deaths
UN 'shocked' by Gaza destruction
Map of Palestinian devastation


Ban 'appalled' by Gaza's damage

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He was speaking in front of the smouldering remains of the UN food warehouse destroyed by Israeli shells.
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Israeli shells hit the UN headquarters as well as two UN schools during the recent three-week offensive.
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Palestinian medical sources say at least 1,300 Palestinians were killed, nearly a third of them children, and 5,500 injured during the conflict.

(Source: BBC News, 01/20/09)

Gaza 'looks like earthquake zone'

The worst-hit areas in the Gaza Strip after Israel's three-week offensive look as if they have been hit by a strong earthquake, aid agencies say.
Correspondents in Gaza City say entire neighbourhoods have been flattened and bodies are still being recovered.

The UN says it is still sheltering at least 35,000 Palestinians while 400,000 people are without running water.

(Source: BBC News, 01/20/09)

New evidence of Gaza child deaths

...Samar had been shot in the back at close range. The bullet damaged her spine, and she is unlikely to walk again.
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A tank had parked in front of the house, where around 30 people were taking shelter.

The women and children - mother, grandmother and three little girls - came out waving a white flag and then, he said, an Israeli soldier came out of the tank and opened fire on the terrified procession.

Samar's two sisters, aged seven and two, were shot dead. The grandmother was hit in the arm and in the side, but has survived.
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One of the most alarming features of the conflict in Gaza is the number of child casualties. More than 400 were killed. Many had shrapnel or blast injuries sustained as the Israeli army battled Hamas militants in Gaza's densely populated civilian areas.

But the head of neurosurgery at the El-Arish hospital, Dr Ahmed Yahia, told me that brain scans made it clear that a number of the child victims had been shot at close range.

Samar's uncle said the soldier who had shot his niece was just 15m (49ft) away. ''How could they not see they were shooting at children?'' he asked.

(Source: BBC News, 01/22/09)

UN 'shocked' by Gaza destruction

Sir John Holmes, who visited Gaza on Thursday, said he was shocked by "the systematic nature of the destruction".

He said that the territory's economic activity had been set back by years.
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Mr Kellenberger told the BBC: "What I have seen in the hospital in Gaza was for me as far as a visit is concerned... it was my most shocking experience."

He added that the Israeli forces should not be using weapons such as phosphorus shells which made it difficult to avoid injuring or killing civilians.
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He told of broken pipes pumping out raw sewage onto the streets.
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Richard Falk - the UN special rapporteur for human rights in the Palestinian territories - has said there was "a prima facie case" that Israel gravely breached the Geneva Conventions during its 22-day campaign.

The International Committee of the Red Cross's (ICRC) president Jakob Kellenberger said conditions in Gazan hospitals were the worst he had seen.

(Source: BBC News, 01/23/09)