Israel Matzav

Scapegoats found?

Two senior IDF officers are being offered up as scapegoats to satisfy the World's lust for Jewish blood in the aftermath of Operation Cast Lead.

Gaza Division Commander Brig. Gen. Eyal Eisenberg and Givati Brigade Commander Col. Ilan Malka, were the subject of disciplinary action by GOC Southern Command Maj. Gen. Yoav Gallant after headquarters staff found that the men exceeded their authority in approving the use of phosphorus shells that endangered human life, the Israeli government report said.

The incident in question occurred on January 15 of last year, two days before the end of Operation Cast Lead, in the southern Gaza City neighborhood of Tel al-Hawa, at a time when the Givati brigade and other Israeli forces were in the area.

In the course of engagement with a Hamas squad, which according to IDF intelligence possessed advanced anti-tank missiles, it was decided to use phosphorus smoke munitions to create cover that would make it harder for the Hamas fighters to see the IDF soldiers.

According to Israeli intelligence, the Hamas forces were stationed in a commanding location from which they could easily see the soldiers and the UNRWA compound that was located between the Israeli forces and the Hamas position.

The munitions disperse hundreds of pieces of felt impregnated with phosphorus and at least some of the pieces fell into the UNRWA compound, causing injury to an UNRWA employee there as well as to two Palestinian civilians who took cover at the location.

The question of why Hamas had stationed its terrorists such that the UN compound was between them and the Israeli troops is of course ignored.

It's a war damn it, and in war, unfortunately, civilians are injured. Especially when one side insists on using them as human shields.

What could go wrong?

UPDATE 6:50 PM

The IDF now denies disciplining Eisenberg and Malka.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 9:01 AM