Gaza doctors encounter 'unexplained injuries'

El_Kabong

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article1359830.ece

Gaza doctors encounter 'unexplained injuries'
By Donald Macintyre in Gaza
Published: 04 September 2006
Doctors in Gaza are reporting what they say are unexplained injuries among the dead and wounded in operations by the Israeli military, which have killed more than 200 Palestinians in the past nine weeks.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) is considering whether there is a case for an investigation into the injuries amid suspicions by the medics that the injuries were inflicted by what they claim may have been unidentified "non-conventional" weapons.

Beside especially severe burning "down to the bones", the doctors say that, in other cases, internal organs have been ruptured without any obvious sign of shrapnel wounds.

While a report from the Hamas-run Ministry of Health said the injuries raised the possibility Israel could be using "unprecedented" projectiles with "radiant" substances, the medics acknowledge that there is no proof so far of their claims. They also admit that the difficulty of establishing the exact cause of death is greatly exacerbated by the reluctance of most bereaved Palestinian families to allow autopsies.

Dr Juma al Saqqa, the director of public relations at Shifa Hospital, said the type of injuries presented by some victims were "very strange" and added: "We think this should be studied. In some cases we have opened the abdomen and found very fragmented organs." He said this was despite X-rays showing no shrapnel lodged in the patients' bodies. He said one, unsubstantiated suggestion by sympathetic doctors consulted in Italy was that some injuries might have been caused by phosphorus.

The concerns were aired at the weekend by a group of Palestinian medics during a visit to Gaza by a delegation from Physicians for Human Rights - Israel (PHR). The delegation agreed to take away fragments of tissue from the bodies of Palestinians killed during the recent military operations in Gaza for possible analysis in Israel but urged the medics to seek an international investigation. Dr Ambrogio Manenti, the head of the WHO's West Bank and Gaza office, said the organisation had undertaken a short preliminary assessment of the claims and had now referred the issue to the organisation's headquarters in Geneva so that it can decide whether fuller investigation was appropriate. The Israel Defence Forces said yesterday all its "weapons and ammunition are legal under international law and conform with international standards". It said it could not respond in greater detail without more information about the injuries.

A leader of the PHR delegation, Professor Zvi Bentwich, said PHR was focusing on raising the numbers of patients allowed out of Gaza into Israel and Egypt for treatment and the relief of equipment and medicine shortages because of frequent closures of the main Karni crossing, and external training for Palestinian medical staff.

PHR is pressing the Israeli authorities to reduce the costs of patients being treated in Israel. Professor Bentwich said the denial of external specialist treatment to Palestinians was a denial "of the basic human right to health".

He added that military operations since militants captured the Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit in June had "exacerbated an already appalling situation".The army said the attacks were aimed at releasing Cpl Shalit and halting the firing ofrockets into Israel.

Eva7

Thank you EK for bringing this up. There is an investigation going on, and I hope the case will reach the UN. These kinds of "mysterious" weapons were reported to be widely used in Lebanon and in Iraq before. It is obvious that these shitty wars are also used to test these new kinds of weapons, it really makes me sick.

even flow?

Just close it off like Fallujah then we can all forget about it and never speak of this kind of thing again. Of course when you are talking about advanced weapons, the countries using them are more humane then the animals they are using them against.

NMyTree

It's all so sickening.

I'm disgusted with all this war and killing.

All sides of this mess need a swift kick in the ass and then shipped off the planet. Drop off their fucking war-monger asses on some dried up planet, where they can fuck with each other and leave the rest of us earth citizens, alone.

jsand

From the 'report' you cited to:

"the medics acknowledge that there is no proof so far of their claims. They also admit that the difficulty of establishing the exact cause of death is greatly exacerbated by the reluctance of most bereaved Palestinian families to allow autopsies."

Another blood libel against the Jews. Nice try. Gee, I wonder if this will turn out like those idiotic claims of the "chemical weapons" the Arabs said Isael used in Lebanon:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDwqFMIPhbs&eurl=

NMyTree

I'm sure it's some mysterious, undetectable chemical:rolleyes:

I'm simply sick of all the fighting and murder.

lalalalaaaaaaaa

If you seriously want to see an end to this violence, then you shouldn't post stories like this. Let's say we can prove Israel is using legal weapons. Does that change anything in the big picture? Not really. People are still being killed left and right. THAT is what's important, not how they're being killed.

jsand's response is exactly why these kinds of stories don't help. They can easily be attacked, and it takes the conversation away from the important issues. It's a waste of time, I think.

farfromglorified

Saturnal wrote:

If you seriously want to see an end to this violence, then you shouldn't post stories like this. Let's say we can prove Israel is using legal weapons. Does that change anything in the big picture? Not really. People are still being killed left and right. THAT is what's important, not how they're being killed.

jsand's response is exactly why these kinds of stories don't help. They can easily be attacked, and it takes the conversation away from the important issues. It's a waste of time, I think.

Do you not understand? It's not about ending the conflict. It's about justifying a presupposed moral high ground which is what creates the conflict.

The point you make is a very good one, though.

NMyTree

Thing is, no side in this neverending conflict- no culture, no group of human beings have a moral high ground. They are all delusional.

But each side is right:rolleyes: At least that is what each respective side has convinced themselves of.

farfromglorified

NMyTree wrote:

Thing is, no side in this neverending conflict- no culture, no group of human beings have a moral high ground. They are all delusion.

But each side is right:rolleyes: At least that is what each respective side has convinced themselves of.

Agreed completely, particularly in the context of this conflict.

sonicreducer

energy that travels in waves,...

Abookamongstthemany

.......

El_Kabong

<cough> http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/1023-02.htm <cough>
<thanks eva>

rebornFixer

Saturnal wrote:

If you seriously want to see an end to this violence, then you shouldn't post stories like this. Let's say we can prove Israel is using legal weapons. Does that change anything in the big picture? Not really. People are still being killed left and right. THAT is what's important, not how they're being killed.

jsand's response is exactly why these kinds of stories don't help. They can easily be attacked, and it takes the conversation away from the important issues. It's a waste of time, I think.

Good point. Glad someone else made it this time, though.

miller8966

Whatever..weapons are meant to kill. As long as they get the job done i see no problem

cincybearcat

farfromglorified wrote:

Do you not understand? It's not about ending the conflict. It's about justifying a presupposed moral high ground which is what creates the conflict.

WHile most of your posts end up giving me a headache (:)), this is extremely insightful and an all-round wonderful post and point. Well said.