If Hamas Didn't Use Human Shields, How Much Less Palestinian Civilians Would Have Died?

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Ivri Anokhi

During Operation Cast Lead, IDF forces often had to deal with booby-trapped schools, and with rocket launchers positioned near schools. In one instance, on January 18, after Israel had announced it was holding its fire, a rocket launcher was identified between two school buildings. The launcher was not attacked by the Israel Air Force because of its proximity to the schools.

Hamas stores weapons in civilian dwellings in densely populated areas, and sometimes rockets are launched near them. Both routinely and during Operation Cast Lead, when the Israel Air Force carried out pinpoint aerial attacks, aircraft cameras captured powerful secondary explosions, evidence of the presence of large quantities of weapons and explosives stored in private houses. By situating weapons and firing from residential civilian areas, Hamas knowingly endangered Gazansâ€™ lives.

So if Hamas had not used human shields, they would have avoided 90% of the civilian deaths. But they were not interested in preventing their own deaths.

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geoffsy328

If Israel didn't use human shields how much lessPalestinian Civilians Would Have Died?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjEd4hJNVCE

http://djiin.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/dailymail_humanshield.jpg

Lilac

the Israeli army shot the two soldiers hamas succeeded to capture them with white phosphor bomb.
would they care about civilians!
wake up and smell the coffee.
with Davidoff tobaccos.

THE TRUTH IS HOLY

This is an interesting question. If you subtract the Arabs murdered intentionally by Hamas in order to blame Israel and trick the international news media AND you subtract those killed because they were being used as human shields AND you subtract civilians whose houses and houses of worship were actually Hamas offices and headquarters, then the number of civilians killed in this Israeli defensive action is probably between fifteen and fifty (far less than one percent of the number of Jews/Israelis killed by terrorists since The Yom Kippur War).

Annt Hu DeShalit

In the recent Gaza action, approximately 1/4 of all casualties were civilians.

If the Hamas had not used the cowardly technique of using human shields, approximately 2/3 of the civilian casualties would have been avoided. In other words, there would have been 3000 fewer Arab civilians wounded, and 200 fewer Arab civilians killed.

Operatives belonging to Hamas and the other terrorist organizations regularly fire rockets and mortar shells from close proximity to public buildings, including educational institutions. That is done primarily because such structures protect them from IDF attacks against rocket launchers and rocket launching squads, evidence of which could be found in the period before Operation Cast Lead.

Additional evidence was provided by Nawaf Feisal Attar, a Hamas terrorist operative from Al-Atatra in the northern Gaza Strip, detained on January 11, 2009. During interrogation he admitted that Hamas regularly launched rockets from near schools. As examples he gave the Sakhnin school in the Abu Halima neighborhood and another in the Al- Mal neighborhood, saying that rockets were fired from both. He said that was because Hamas operatives knew Israeli aircraft would not attack a school.

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Shadi

Notice this first:
"You just admitted that Hamas is hiding behind women and children!! " How pathetic from zionists putting words in others mouth. But so typical from them...

Now to your question,

zionists keep repeating what their media say all the time without even bothering to use their brains to see this very clear truth... I don't know how you justify bombing the hell out of that city with hundreds of tons of bombs of very big destruction range just because your media says "Hamas fighter was in that place"

Do you really think these zionists had targets to shoot at? Or just random bombings and killing and burning everything alive in that highly populated place?
These zionists realized that the time was running from them and they were just randomly shooting everywhere and anywhere to get out from this by some kind of victory...

Now just a quick question to you. Are you one of these zionists:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-u-y13LCqSA
??

Baddy Baddy Gorilla

Rami Misbah Abed Rabbo, a Hamas operative from Jabaliya, said during interrogation that this past year he often conducted observations from his house and reported to Hamas about IDF movements. He also said that during the lull arrangement he was approached by a Hamas operative who asked him to put IEDs in a citrus grove near his house. He said that Hamas stored large quantities of weapons in citrus groves. Raji Misbah Abed Rabbo, also a resident of Jabaliya, a Palestinian Islamic Jihad terrorist operative, said that he had stored IEDs in his house. He also said that Hamas operatives would hide IEDs in streets near mosques and in citrus groves.

Imad Yusuf Hamed, a Hamas terrorist operative from Beit Hanoun, said that three months ago Hamas operatives had been authorized to use land belonging to them and their families to hide barrels containing launchers and rockets. He said that he had buried three and had two more which he was supposed to bury. He also admitted that he had hidden Kalatchnikov assault rifles and ammunition behind his house.

So the answer is that only a handful of Gazan civilians would have died if the Hamas had not used human shields.

O M

I am sick and tired of the usage of the term "Human shield".
People !! Gaza is not Texas !!! Do you think that Hamas has itself surrounded with children while they fire missiles into Israel?
The innocent children which were slaughtered by terrorist Israel were hiding in their homes, under their beds slaughtered by a bomb coming from an F16 high in the sky. Coward, just coward Israeli pilots.

For Mir Miron, in Lebanon the Israelis killed over 100 child hiding in a UN shelter in Qana, these are Lebanese children slaughtered by Israel, and you have the audacity to defend the criminal state of Israel !!

Richard V

What We Found in Gaza
Strong Indications of Violations of the Laws of War, U.S. Law, and War Crimes Found in the Gaza Strip

NLG Delegation
GAZA CITY - We are a delegation of 8 American lawyers, members of the National Lawyers Guild in the United States, who have come here to the Gaza Strip to assess the effects of the recent attacks on the people, and to determine what, if any, violations of international law occurred and whether U.S. domestic law has been violated as a consequence. We have spent the last five days interviewing communities particularly impacted by the recent Israeli offensive, including medical personnel, humanitarian aid workers and United Nations representatives. In particular, the delegation examined three issues: 1) targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure; 2) illegal use of weapons and 3) blocking of medical and humanitarian assistance to civilians.

Targeting of Civilians and Civilian Infrastructure

Much of the debate surrounding Israel's aerial and ground offensive against Gaza has centered on whether or not Israel observed principles of proportionality and distinction. The debate suggests that Israel targeted Hamas i.e., its military installations, its leaders, and its militants, and in the process of its discrete military exercise it inadvertently killed Palestinian civilians. While we have found evidence that Palestinian civilians were victims of excessive force and collateral damage, we have also found troubling instances of Palestinian civilians being targets themselves.

The delegation recorded numerous accounts of Israeli soldiers shooting civilians, including women, children, and the elderly, in the head, chest, and stomach. Another common narrative described Israeli forces rounding civilians into a single location i.e., homes, schools which Israeli tanks or warplanes then shelled. Israeli forces continued to shoot at civilians fleeing the targeted structures.

We spoke to Khaled Abed Rabbo, who witnessed an Israeli soldier execute his 2-year-old and 7-year-old daughters, and critically injure a third daughter, Samar, 4-years old, on a sunny afternoon outside his home. Two other Israeli soldiers were standing nearby eating chips and chocolates at the time on January 7, 2009. Abed Rabbo recounts standing in front of the Israeli soldiers with his mother, wife and daughters for 5 - 7 minutes before one of the soldiers opened fire on his family.

We spoke to Ibtisam al-Sammouni, 31, and a resident of Zaytoun neighborhood in Gaza City. On January 4th, the Israeli army forced approximately 110 of Zaytoun's residents into Ibtisam's home. At approximately 7 am on January 5th, the Israeli military launched two tank shells at the house without warning killing two of Ibtisam's children: Rizka, 14 and Faris, 12. When the survivors attempted to flee Israeli forces shot at them. Her son Abdullah, 7, was injured in the shelling and remained in the home among his deceased siblings for four days before Israeli forces permitted medical personnel into Zaytoun to rescue them. After medical personnel removed the injured persons, an Israeli war plane destroyed the house and it crumbled over the lifeless bodies. The dead remained beneath the rubble for 17 days before the Israeli Army permitted medical personnel to remove their bodies for burial.

We spoke to the family of Rouhiya al-Najjar, 47, who lived in Khoza'a, Khan Younis. Israeli forces ordered her neighborhoods residents to march to the city center. Rouhiya led 20 women out of her home and into the alley. They all carried white scarves. Upon entering the alley, an Israeli sniper shot Rouhiya in her left temple killing her instantly. Israeli forces prevented medical personnel from reaching her body for twelve hours. These are only some of the accounts that we've collected.

Israeli forces also destroyed numerous buildings throughout the Gaza Strip during the recent incursion. Guild delegates viewed the remains of hundreds of demolished homes and businesses - in addition to the remains of the American School in Gaza, damaged medical centers, and the charred innards of UNRWA warehouses. While in situations of armed conflict, collateral damage and mistakes can occur, the circumstances surrounding the cases that the delegation investigated indicate deliberate targeting rather than collateral damage or mistake. Specifically:

The American School at Gaza, which was hit with two F-16 missiles on January 3, 2009, killing the watch guard on duty. According to Ribhi Salem, the school's director, the Israelis gave no warnings. Mr. Salem stated that the school had come to an agreement with resistance groups not to use school grounds and there had never been resistance activity on the property.

United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA)

John Ging, the Director of Gaza Operations for UNRWA reported that Israeli forces fired missiles at UNRWA schools in Gaza City, Jabalyia and Bet Lahiya. The United Nation compound in Gaza city was also hit with white phosphorous shells and missiles. Ging noted that al United Nations buildings and vehicles all fly UN flags, are marked in blue paint from the top, and that during hostilities the UN personnel remained in constant contact with Israeli authorities...

Impossible question. How many would have run out front to die on their own? We are not talking about sane or properly programmed people here.

Arieh

I'd have to have been there at the time and witnessed it first hand in order to offer a credible answer.

the truth will reveal itself

mir miron

Israel did in Gaza same as they did in Libnan, if a missile was shot from a civilian dwelling Israel retaliated by shooting back, Hezbollah shot from a school Israel shot back at school, Hamass shot Qasam from school Israel shot back at school, so Hezbollah and Hamass shot from these places, they should have not done so.

I'd say 80% of the civilians hurt (numbers unknown) would not be.

âœ¡I LOVE THE ZIONIST ENTITYâœ¡

I would say Tens.

Lets just remember only about 250 civilians were killed. The other 750 were war militants.

It's sad, but at the same time its hard to have pity on such terrorists.

Lupines supports GEERT WILDERS

Had they fought man v man instead of hiding behind women and children in civilian establishments the casualty count would be much less. Numbers? I can't give you specific numbers because I dispute the civilian count since the Hamas police took off their uniforms and put on civilian attire when the war started, then returned to their uniforms after war was over and then went on a murderous rampage against civilians.

As far as this being an issue of "powerful Israel vs. indefensible Hamas" actually Hamas had smuggled out militants to train in foreign camps (Hezbollah, Iran) and then smuggled them back in thru the tunnels. Hamas also had weaponry such as anti-aircraft cannons, anti-tank shells, phosphorous shells (yes they used them too all modern armies have them) and fired rockets farther into Israel than have ever been fired previously. They were equipped but I agree not as equipped as Israel. That is a good thing because I like my police that protect me to be more equipped than the crooks.

When one removes the Israeli equation one also sees that the Hamas and other militants continually put their civilians in harm's way using all of the civilian establishments as if it is their "personal militant playground" with no regard for human civilian life. That is why this war received civilian casualties, as it is an urban war, and that is how the enemy fights. Here is one example of how they used Al Quds hospital to wage war on humanitarian Red Crescent society building with a third civilian building being subjected to shelling and casualty:

"In another attack, a Palestinian civilian was wounded when he was inside the house of Reem Khalil al-Souri, 28, near al-Quds Hospital in Tal al-Hawa neighborhood in the southwest of Gaza City. In her testimony al-Souri stated: â€œAt approximately 15:30 on Wednesday, 13 June 2007, many militants deployed inside the Preventive Security Service, and some of them took position on the second and third roof of the building of Palestine Red Crescent Society opposite to our building, where I live on the first floor. An intense exchange of fire erupted between militants of Fatah movement and those of Hamas. We also heard sounds of explosions. On the following day morning, the fighting escalated and consequently, we were not able to move inside the house. We were 3 families comprised of 14 individuals, including 5 children. We all stayed in the southern part of the house, which was the most secure. Later, gunshots hit the house. We could hear glass of windows being broken and voices of militants. As a result of the gunfire, electricity was cut off. A few hours later, the fighting further escalated and we realized that armed clashes were taking place near our building. Militants from Hamas were deployed near our building and neighboring buildings, firingat members of the Preventive Security Forces positioned atop of al-Quds Hospital. At
approximately 09:20, Sameer Ibrahim al-Jilda, 48, was wounded by a gunshot to the left leg inside our house. We called a doctor and woman who has some experience in first medical aid, who live in our buildings, and they offered him first medical aid. We called for ambulances, but ambulances were not able to reach the area. We told one of the militants that we needed an ambulance to evacuate the wounded man, but he told us to offer him first medical aid. The situation became more dangerous, and the part of the house in which we were sheltering was no longer safe. The fighting continued until
12:30. It ended with Hamasâ€™ takeover of the headquarters of the Preventive Security Service. We then evacuated the wounded man in a civilian car to the Arab NationalHospital in the east of Gaza City.â€

Gaza Conflict 2007 Militant Behavior
http://www.pchrgaza.org/files/Reports/English/pdf_spec/Gaza%20Conflict%20-%20Eng%209%20october..pdf

No time in history has any population been immune to the consequences of their actions and considered innocent. The Palestinians themselves elected Hamas and other militants in a parliamentary democratic election where both men and women voted. They elected terrorists and have to suffer the consequences of their actions. Nazi Germany wasn't immune to allied bombs, and millions died. When Communist Russia had missiles pointed towards America, America wasn't immune to what our world leaders were doing, and the Russians weren't immune to our missiles pointed right back at them. Cuban missile crisis targeted Floridians for what our President in Washington was standing up for, and the terrorists themselves say none of us are innocent they regularly pack on suicide bombs and plunge into malls and restaurants, then they dance in the street over our deaths accomplished by others such as Yeshiva Massacre or 9/11. So what makes these Palestinians so special that they can wage bombs towards us, but cry they are innocent when we defend ourselves and expect people to stop at 1,00 lives when the mission isn't accomplished to end their aggression? They are not innocents but simply suffering the consequences of their actions or inaction and playing on sympathetic factors.

International law does provide there can be civilian casualties there is no law that says there can be none or it needs to stop at X amount, that is hogwash. The law stipulates in respect to civilian count efforts must be made to keep it only minimized and the military objective must outweigh the risk to civilian lives. International law also dictates that once a civilian building is used for a military purpose it is no longer considered a civilian building but a military target. A defending army can continue it's goal of defeating the attacker. There is no such thing as disproportionate force when one is defeating a hegemonious fascist state we have history to prove that it is perfectly acceptable..

World War II casualties
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II_casualties

Hamas In Their Own Voices
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i08L09V0_sg

Teresa (SFECU) -â€ - pray4revival

I would venture to say that very, very few civilians would have died if Hamas hadn't been using them as shields and fodder. I'm glad to hear that the UN has finally said they plan to investigate that issue and I hope their words aren't just a whitewash to cover up their own negligence in that area. Because up to now it seems they've turned a blind eye to everything they've done and criticized Israel without mercy.

When and if any of the anti-Israel element around here can actually produce a video showing Israeli troops using human shields then I'll denounce that too. But so far, there is nothing, let me repeat that... NOTHING in any of the video's they've provided that is evidence that they've done any such thing and not one of the people in any of those videos has died as a result of what the IDF did.
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@ Bravo, did I read that right? "...of course they will hide."

You just admitted that Hamas is hiding behind women and children!! Yep, that's real manly courage for you.
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@ The Muslim girl from Morocco - Do you have evidence of that tale you just told or is that another Pallywood story?

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