|
Mass
Criticism Against Israel For House Demolitions In Gaza
 |
| Palestinians
left homeless after Israelis destroyed their house |
OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, Jan. 13 (IslamOnline &
News Agencies) - The Israeli occupation army was under heavy fire from critics
at home and abroad Sunday for razing Palestinian houses which left hundreds
homeless.
Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and
Science and Culture Minister Matan Vilnai both voiced concern at the army's
destruction of some 50 Palestinian houses in the Gaza town of Rafah Thursday,
which left up to 600 people homeless, according to the International Committee
of the Red Cross (ICRC), Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.
The occupation army claimed the houses near the
border with Egypt had been used for smuggling weapons and for firing on Israeli
border posts.
It also ripped up the runway at the nearby Gaza
international airport and shelled Gaza harbor Saturday, setting several boats
ablaze and destroying a fuel dump, Palestinian officials said.
The Israeli military said in a statement that
the shelling destroyed two boats, one of which was the Palestinian naval vessel,
the Gindalla.
Vilnai said the army should have used a less
indiscriminate response than bulldozing dozens of houses.
"They should have used some commonsense,
gone about it another way and given the families caravans to live in instead of
the demolished houses," he said. "Israeli cannot allow itself to
strike blindly."
Vilnai also expressed concern at the damage to
Israel's image by the worst destruction of Palestinian houses by the military in
one day since the Palestinian uprising against occupation broke out more than 15
months ago.
Peres for his part demanded "clear
explanations" on the operation in which 50 houses were flattened according
to International aid groups.
U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell’s
remarks that Israel's latest military operations were "defensive"
sparked an angry response in the Arab world and were slammed by Arab League
Secretary General Amr Mussa.
"It is unacceptable to describe as
defensive actions (Israel's) occupation practices when acts of resistance are
described as terrorism," Mussa said, arguing that "continued
occupation provokes the pursuit of legitimate resistance."
The ICRC said it was trucking emergency
supplies to those left homeless by Israel in Rafah, AFP reported.
Palestinian information minister Yasser Abed
Rabbo said the operation constituted a "crime against humanity" and
called on Washington to adopt a "constructive position."
Abed Rabbo told reporters he hoped the United
States would take a "constructive position" on the issue, "not
like the one they took two days ago" when U.S. Powell called army
operations in the Gaza Strip a "defense" measure to stem arms
smuggling.
The head of the Israeli rights group Peace Now,
Moria Shlomot, called the mid-winter destruction of homes "an
unconscionable and inhumane act, and has nothing to do with security."
Zeev Schiff, military analyst for the Israeli
daily Haaretz, lashed out at "an act of undisguised ruthlessness, a
military act devoid of humanitarian and diplomatic logic, based on simplistic
and over-generalized operational considerations."
Other commentators in the Israeli daily said
the operation was almost certainly illegal and, as collective punishment, could
be classed as a "war crime."
The latest Israeli actions also drew criticism
from the European Union's new acting presidency, Spain.
Foreign Minister Josep Pique told the Arabic
daily Al-Hayat before heading off on a Middle East tour Monday:
"These acts cannot be justified in any way and cannot be included in the
anti-terror struggle."
"We cannot justify actions such as the
destruction of Gaza airport as part of the anti-terrorist struggle," said
Pique, due to visit Jordan, Egypt, Israel, the Palestinian territories, Syria
and Lebanon.
"The latest events….have dangerously
heightened tension ... which does not give cause for optimism," Pique said.
|
