The blood of innocents

Leader
Thursday November 9, 2006
The Guardian

"Israel enjoys overwhelming military superiority over its Palestinian enemies, but there was no military or indeed any other logic to yesterday's killing of 18 people, at least 14 of them members of one sleeping family, in the northern Gaza Strip. International and regional reactions to the carnage were grimly predictable. The US called on Israel to exercise "restraint", noting its "regret" at civilian casualties and the launch of an inquiry into how a residential area had come under artillery fire. The EU said it was "appalled". The Palestinian movement Hamas called for swift retaliation. Islamic Jihad promised suicide bombings. Sadly, only the latter statements carried much conviction.

But Israel's actions, as in Lebanon this summer, have ignored the obligation to act in proportion to the threat, to avoid civilian casualties, and comply with international humanitarian law, which includes the personal responsibility of commanders for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Louise Arbour, the UN human rights commissioner, should formally remind the Israeli government of those principles when she visits Gaza and Jerusalem shortly.

It bears repeating that there are no military solutions to this conflict. Those who ignore that will always end up staining their hands with the blood of innocents."