Israel Defense Ministry Refutes Claims of IDF Misconduct During Gaza Operation

[Jerusalem Post] A new report by the Israel Defense Ministry's Gaza Coordination and Liaison Administration (CLA) refutes specific claims made by Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) earlier this year on the IDF's conduct in Gaza. To the charge that Israel prevented wounded Palestinians from leaving Gaza for medical treatment, the Defense Ministry said that Palestinian health authorities had refused to cooperate with the CLA to coordinate the transfer of wounded to Israel "despite numerous requests by the CLA." While PHR said 16 Palestinian medical personnel were killed during the operation, a Hamas statement noted that 9 of the 16 were Hamas operatives and fighters. Pictures of some of them appeared on Hamas Web sites holding RPGs and Kalashnikov rifles. While PHR claimed that the Palestinian health system "collapsed" during the operation, the Defense Ministry said, "During the operation, unprecedented amounts of medical supplies entered Gaza." A World Health Organization report noted that there was no shortage in medicine or medical supplies in Gaza and that hospitals were never more than 75% full.


2009-08-12 06:00:00

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