Amnesty International released a report this week entitled, "Killing the Future: Children in the Line of Fire." The document likens the killing of Arab children during the Oslo War with the terrorist murders of Israeli children during the same period, and condemns both phenomena equally. Below is the IDF's response to the Amnesty report:
"For the past two years, the IDF has been engaged in difficult and intensive fighting against Palestinian terrorist factions. During this period of fighting, which was imposed upon the State of Israel and the IDF, Palestinian terrorist factions perpetrated over 14,500 terror attacks, claiming the lives of 624 Israeli civilians and IDF soldiers.
"All IDF operations adhere to international humanitarian law, in strict compliance with the highest moral and legal standards. In glaring contrast, Palestinian terrorist factions defy all norms, be they moral or legal, deliberately attacking civilians only because they are Israeli, as described at length in the report. Amnesty International has labeled the Palestinian suicide attacks as crimes against humanity.
"As part of its adherence to the rules of the conduct of war, the IDF goes to great lengths to avoid harming civilians, especially children. This concern is an integral part of soldier training, of the regulations governing when to open fire, of orders issued by commanders, of operational plans, and of the message conveyed by the highest-ranking officers. Regrettably, some civilians, including children, have been injured during the fighting against the Palestinian terrorist groups. In no case were these injuries intentional. Those hurt were either individuals involved in Palestinian terrorist activity, or civilians who were unintentionally hurt when they entered a live-fire zone.
"The Palestinian terrorists are solely and unequivocally responsible for the injuries caused to Palestinian children. Since the beginning of the conflict two years ago, the Palestinian terrorist factions have cynically exploited children in terrorist activity, in violation of international law. Children are groomed and dispatched to carry out suicide attacks in the centers of the Israeli civilian population; positioned at the front lines of demonstrations to hide snipers behind them; and used to plant explosives and deliver weapons. Moreover, the terrorist factions have transformed Palestinian civilian population centers into terrorist activity headquarters.
"One must keep in mind that the Palestinian society and several international organizations have denounced the abuse of children by Palestinian terrorist factions. For one, the UN Secretary General condemned the phenomenon in his report of operation "Defensive Shield". Unfortunately, the UN report does not mention this particularly low Palestinian practice. Whoever uses children to perpetrate terror attacks, anyone who uses houses were children reside to coordinate and perpetrate attacks, is responsible for injuring these children.
"Authors of the Amnesty report compare IDF operations in which Palestinian children were killed to Palestinian terror attacks in which Israeli children were killed. This comparison is unjustified and baseless. Palestinian terror attacks, especially suicide bombings, are designed to cause the death of Israeli civilians, including children: this is ruthless, unprecedented, inhuman terror. On the other hand, IDF activity is conducted in accordance with the laws of war and is not aimed at injuring civilians. Injuries are occasionally sustained only because the Palestinian terrorists act from within centers of Palestinian civilian population. Hence, any comparison between the two is groundless, and indicates a fundamental lack of balance among authors of the report.
"The authors falsely claim the IDF does not investigate incidents in which Palestinian children are injured, and grants immunity to soldiers involved. The truth is, however, that IDF commanders investigate each incident in which Palestinian civilians are injured. When suspicion of criminal misbehavior of the soldiers' side arises, the Military Police launches an inquiry. Since September 2000, the beginning of "Ebb and Flow", over 220 inquiries of the Military Police were launched, some of which regarding incidents in which Palestinian minors were injured.
"For example, the Military Police launched inquiries over the deaths of Palestinian children near Khan Yunis on 22 November 2001, the youth Yasser Kassabi from Kalandia on 8 December 2001, the death of Muhamad Hassan Altalalaka near Beith Hanoun on 1 March 2002, the death of children in Jenin on 21 June 2002, and over other incidents. The claims that incidents are not investigated and soldiers enjoy immunity are falsified. The IDF owes its professionalism and power partly due to its willingness to engage in investigations and inquiries even in the midst of intense fighting.
"The IDF is dedicated to upholding the "purity of arms" and preserving human dignity, and regrets any injuries children sustain. However, the cynical use Palestinian terrorist factions make of Palestinian children constitutes the main cause of their injuries. The IDF applauds the report's implicit condemnation of the Palestinian terror attacks against Israeli civilian population."