The Gaza Beach massacre story keeps deepening and the IDF’s “cover story” keeps unraveling bit by bit. The latest news reported by Haaretz is that Israel’s Channel 10 announced that a piece of shrapnel removed from one of the Palestinian wounded who was treated at an Israeli hospital has definitively been identified as deriving from IDF ordnance:
The Monday television report said that a previously unreported shrapnel fragment recovered from one of those wounded in the incident, was from the type of shell Israeli artillery had been firing prior to the explosion…
Laboratory examinations by the IDF and then by an Israeli academic institution, the army said, proved conclusively that the shrapnel was not from a 155 mm shell of the type used by the IDF in shelling targeting northern Gaza at the time. The IDF said the fragment resembled explosives used by Palestinian organizations.
However, Channel 10’s Shlomo Eldar reported late Monday that a second fragment, removed last week from a different Palestinian wounded in the incident, was from an 155mm shell.
If this report is true it would make the IDF outright liars. Of course, the IDF has denounced the TV report calling it “a falsehood.” But they would do that if they’d covered up the origin of the second shell fragment. Of course, there are two ways the IDF can get itself out of this jam. It can provide the ballistic reports on both shell fragments for all the world to see; or it can convene an external, independent inquiry to which it provides such information. Will we ever see either of those outcomes? Hmmm.
You have to give credit to the Israeli media for staying on top of this story. As for U.S. media, their response after the basic early reporting was concluded has been pathetic. The NY Times, for example has published one story last week mentioning Human Rights Watch’s doubts about the IDF report. It has not mentioned the Times of London report based partially on new Human Rights Watch evidence and so far has not mentioned the Channel 10 report. I’ve e-mailed Steven Erlanger and Ian Fisher, the Times’ Israel correspondents asking about the prospect for new coverage and received no response so far. I guess as far as they’re concerned this is old news. Thank God we have more enterprising news sources than our sleepy American ones in situations like this.
Well, isn’t it strange that everybody’s lying, except the accused IDF….
The witnesses, Human Rights Watch and now Israeli channel 10…
And now it´s an unexploded Israeli shell that has exploded and not a Palestinian device…
It´s about time that IDF decides which story to run…..
You’ve neglected to post anything about HRW’s concession that the Israelis are correct.
From JPost:
First, the Post’s characterization of HRW’s statements in the artice are misleading. Second, yours is a sloppy representation of a sloppy JPost article.
Garlasco indicates now that the explosion was “mostly likely caused by ISRAELI ORDNANCE left laying [sic] on the beach.” The IDF had been trumpeting its contention that Hamas had mined the beach. It appears that IDF is now conceding this is not the case. I’d like to hear this statement directly from the IDF. If the IDF had left open the possibility that its own unexploded ordnance might’ve caused the incident it certanily downplayed it in favor of the “blame the Palestinians-blame Hamas” theory.
Further, the fact of the matter is an Israeli shell still caused the deaths. It’s slightly less damning to the IDF for the beachgoers to die in this manner. But there is still culpability on the IDF’s part for these deaths.
And finally, Channel 10 reported yesterday that the second piece of shrapnel found in a wounded Palestinian came from an IDF shell. If the IDF had tested this shell at the beginning of its investigation it might not have put forward the preposterous notion that the Palestinians killed themselves (with Hamas’ help). What kind of a thorough investigation has this been?
I’m perfectly willing to concede that an IDF shell lying on the beach may’ve caused the deaths. But only after someone independent of the IDF autheticates the latter’s findings.
Precise Richard!
The twists and turns from IDF are quiet amusing. They have now painted themselves into a corner. If there was en “unexploded IDF shell” the shrapnel must be Israeli, which they have denied a dozen times already…
http://www.hrw.org/english/docs/2006/06/20/israb13595.htm
The IDF reputation of cover-up and lying, are well known, and as Human Rights Watch reveals that “The IDF fired more than 80 155mm shells in the area of the beach on the morning of the incident”, its just a question of time when civilians are going to be killed by those shells.
Its rather amazing to see the “most moral army in the world”, using artillery against one of the most populated areas in the world, and claim that they don’t target civilians!
IDF have admitted that they fired about 300 meters away from the crowded beach, by the same logic I guess that it´s ok to fire quassams 300m away from Sederot…
The next shameful act from IDF was the second rocket attack in 7 days, against a crowded Gaza street yesterday. It has the same moral height as suicide attacks in Israel.
Thanks Guardian for the encouragement.
I’ve written a post about the new Human Rights Watch report which you so kindly provided a link to here. I’ve also written about the latest IDF depredation against Palestinian children. I’m beginning to fear listening to the news for fear that each day may bring another Israeli “accident” like this one which I’ll feel compelled to cover here. It would be so nice to write about peace between these warring enemies instead of constant death.