Israel Matzav

Amnesty accuses Hamas of 'eliminating' rivals, calls on Hamas to allow 'investigation'

Let the flying pigs start their warm-up. Amnesty International is accusing Hamas of 'eliminating' their rivals in the Gaza Strip.

The human rights group said in a report that at least two dozen men have been shot dead by gunmen from the Palestinian militia that governs the Gaza Strip since December 27.

"Scores of others have been shot in the legs, knee-capped or inflicted with other injuries intended to cause severe disability, subjected to severe beatings ... or otherwise tortured or ill-treated," it added.

"Hamas forces and militias in the Gaza Strip have engaged in a campaign of abductions, deliberate and unlawful killings, torture and death threats against those they accuse of 'collaborating' with Israel, as well as opponents and critics," the report said.

The victims included members of Palestinian Authority security forces and members of Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas' Fatah party, Amnesty said.

The campaign began shortly after the beginning of the three-week Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip on December 27 and continued after the ceasefire on January 18, according to Amnesty.

...

Amnesty International said the targets included former detainees who were accused by Hamas of collaboration with Israel after escaping from Gaza's central prison when it was bombed by Israeli forces on December 28.

Some were shot dead in hospitals where they were being treated for injuries suffered during the bombing raid, sometimes in front of distraught relatives, according to the testimony gathered by the human rights group.

"The perpetrators of these attacks did not conceal their weapons or keep a low profile, but, on the contrary, behaved in a carefree and confident - almost ostentatious - manner," the report noted.

Amnesty said there was "no doubt" that the victims were abducted, killed, shot and tortured by Hamas security forces and armed militias, adding that the evidence was "incontrovertible."

So far so good, but Amnesty's call at the end of the report has to be the jaw dropping statement of the day:

It called on the "Hamas de facto administration" to immediately end the campaign, accept an independent and impartial investigation and guarantee that victims and witnesses would not be targeted.

Huh?

One party that apparently won't be conducting an 'independent and impartial investigation' is the United Nations. Instead, the UN Secretary General announced on Monday that the United Nations would be 'investigating' damage caused by Israel to the UN's Gaza headquarters.

Japanese Ambassador Yukio Takasu, current council president, told reporters Ban had promised the council during a closed-door briefing he would give it the names of the members and terms of reference of the panel in the next few days.

Several diplomats said it would be led by Ian Martin, a Briton who until recently was UN special envoy to Nepal and from 1986-92 served as secretary-general of human rights group Amnesty International.

Several UN buildings were damaged during Israel's 22-day offensive in December and January that was aimed at stamping out rocket fire against Israel from Gaza, which is controlled by the Palestinian militant organization Hamas.

That will teach Hamas a lesson.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 4:28 PM