Human Rights Watch: Fighting at Refugee Camp Kills Civilians

Report, Human Rights Watch, 23 May 2007

".....Eyewitnesses told Human Rights Watch that the Lebanese army has repeatedly shelled the densely populated Palestinian refugee camp with tanks and mortars. Lebanese officials charged that the militants are using the camp's residents to shield themselves.[This sounds just like the IOF charges against Hizbullah!]......

"The indiscriminate shelling of a densely populated refugee camp can result in a bloodbath," said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. "The Lebanese authorities need to restore order in a way that minimizes civilian casualties."

The number of civilians killed in the fighting remains unknown, as the Lebanese authorities are restricting access due to the ongoing fighting. Health personnel who have gained access to the camp have focused on evacuating the wounded. A Lebanese Red Cross official told Human Rights Watch that the organization transferred at least 57 wounded from the camp to hospitals in the last 48 hours of fighting, including 40 on Tuesday......

Wounded civilians evacuated from the camp told Human Rights Watch that the Lebanese army's tank and artillery shells were falling indiscriminately on certain neighborhoods in the camp, killing and injuring civilians and damaging houses, water tanks, health dispensaries and mosques. Several other civilians told Human Rights Watch that they were injured by unidentified sniper fire often coming from areas outside the camp.

Under principles of international humanitarian law, warring parties are prohibited from using means and methods of attack that cannot discriminate between civilians and combatants, including indiscriminate shelling. Nor may they carry out attacks that are expected to cause loss of civilian life that is disproportionate to expected military gain....."

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Support the Fascist Siniora "Army" ?? Hell No! Even though Hizbullah, of all parties, is supporting it!