Israel Matzav

What really happened at the al-Maqadmah mosque

I have discussed the al-Maqadmah mosque incident - a shrapnel-laced explosion that occurred in a Gaza mosque during Operation Cast Lead - here and here (I may have discussed it in other places as well - I only checked one spelling).

The second part of the IDF's response to the Goldstone Report is now out, and it discusses that particular incident. Here's a summary of what it says (Emphases mine).

The Al-Maqadmah mosque incident, mentioned in the report, is a case in point. On January 3, 2009, a number of Palestinian civilians were killed by an IDF missile that struck the entrance to the house of prayer in Beit Lahiya. Justice Richard Goldstone’s “Report of the UN Human Rights Council Fact-Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict” accused Israel of possible war crimes related to these deaths. After an exhaustive investigation, however, the IDF found that the missile strike had been directed at two terrorists observed firing Kassam rockets at Israeli cities in the South. The other casualties were both unintended and unforeseeable.

A number of factors combined to cause these unfortunate fatalities. There was a “ticking bomb” element.

The two Kassam operatives, who originally positioned themselves near a hospital, had to be neutralized before they could escape to launch more rockets at Israeli civilians. IDF commanders who authorized the attack did not know that the building, which had no minaret, was a mosque. An IDF captain who found out that it was, in the brief minutes, if not seconds, after the attack was authorized but before it was carried out, did not say anything and was punished for that failure – being forbidden to continue serving in IDF posts involved in life-and-death decisions. Furthermore, the Israeli command did not know that a door that led into the mosque was open. It was shrapnel from the missile that killed civilians located inside. Finally, two IDF officers selected a more powerful missile than was authorized because the missile that had been approved was not immediately available and, with time running out, no Palestinian civilians could be seen in the area. These officers were punished for that choice as well.

I want to make several points here. First, note how wrong Goldstone was. The mosque was in no way identifiable as such. Moreover, there was no way that the IDF could have known that the door was open and that shrapnel could therefore blow in to the mosque.

The IDF Captain deserved to be punished (soldiers must be taught to make sure their commanders have all the facts), but the punishment he got (which essentially removes him from all combat command positions) is too harsh.

I don't see punishing the two officers who selected the more powerful missile. How many Israeli lives did they save with that decision?

What do you think the US or NATO would have done in the same position?

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 5:51 AM