Why are there civilian casualties in Gaza? Because the Israelis wickedly target civilians? No. This is why there are civilian casualties in Gaza: because Islamic jihadists place rockets in schools and other places where civilians congregate, hoping to provoke an Israeli strike they can use for propaganda purposes.
“UNRWA Strongly Condemns Placement of Rockets in School,” United Nations Relief and Works Agency, July 17, 2014:
Yesterday, in the course of the regular inspection of its premises, UNRWA discovered approximately 20 rockets hidden in a vacant school in the Gaza Strip. UNRWA strongly condemns the group or groups responsible for placing the weapons in one of its installations. This is a flagrant violation of the inviolability of its premises under international law. This incident, which is the first of its kind in Gaza, endangered civilians including staff and put at risk UNRWA’s vital mission to assist and protect Palestine refugees in Gaza.
Immediately after discovery, the Agency informed the relevant parties and successfully took all necessary measures for the removal of the objects in order to preserve the safety and security of the school. UNRWA has launched a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding this incident.
UNRWA has strong, established procedures to maintain the neutrality of all its premises, including a strict no-weapons policy and routine inspections of its installations, to ensure they are only used for humanitarian purposes. UNRWA will uphold and further reinforce its procedures.
Palestinian civilians in Gaza rely on UNRWA to provide humanitarian assistance and shelter. At all times, and especially during escalations of violence, the sanctity and integrity of UN installations must be respected.
Background Information
UNRWA is a United Nations agency established by the General Assembly in 1949 and is mandated to provide assistance and protection to a population of some 5 million registered Palestine refugees. Its mission is to help Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank and the Gaza Strip to achieve their full potential in human development, pending a just solution to their plight. UNRWA’s services encompass education, health care, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and improvement, and microfinance.
Financial support to UNRWA has not kept pace with an increased demand for services caused by growing numbers of registered refugees, expanding need, and deepening poverty. As a result, the Agency’s General Fund (GF), supporting UNRWA’s core activities and 97 per cent reliant on voluntary contributions, has begun each year with a large projected deficit. Currently the deficit stands at US$ 69 million.
Diane Harvey says
“UNRWA is a United Nations agency established by the General Assembly in 1949 and is mandated to provide assistance and protection to a population of some 5 million registered Palestine refugees.”
The same General Assembly that is today controlled by the Muslim bloc and its allied coterie of tyrants controlling totalitarian countries? The same GA that condemns time after time, without justification, Israel, but which cannot for the life of it ever, ever find any fault with any Muslim country.
So here we have the UNRWA finding a gross violation within one of its own buildings. But of course the GA will find nothing, nothing, wrong with that.
Liza says
And I guarantee these findings won’t make their way into the mainstream media.
John C. Barile says
If UNWRA’s mandates rely on periodic inspections and have no teeth, then how can they keep this from happening again and again? And who holds UNWRA to account?
Of course UNWRA’s very existence is just a permanent concession to failure.
jihad3tracker says
Several days ago on a news show, PM Netanyahu explained the casualty-disproportion FACTS :
” Israel uses missiles to protect its people. Hamas uses people to protect its missiles. “
john spielman says
TIME TO GET THE US OUT OF THE UN, AND THE UN OUT OF THE US!
Walter Sieruk says
The use of civilians as humans shield is a wicked thing do do. Still what else can anyone really expect out of men of a Hamas who have such a cruel and vicious mindset. With all of the events happening is thus important to repeat what was keyboarded yesterday. Which is the members of Hamas fighting in a lost cause and engaging in actions of futility and murderous folly because they are fated to fail in the goal to destroy the State of Israel.This is because the God of the Bible had declared that all of this land that composes the State of Israel belongs to the Jewish people. This may be seen , for example, in Genesis 28:13-15. 35:10-12. Deuteronomy 32:48,49. Psalm 105:7-11. 135:4. In other words this land belongs to the Jewish people by Divine Right. So even if the Hamas members don’t know it they are striving against the Will of God. Thus that makes them wicked. Furthermore, even if Hamas join all its forces with other like minded Islamic terror groups such as Hezbollah, P.I.J. etc. They will still end up losing and losing hard. For the Bible in Proverbs 11:21 teaches “Though the wicked join hand in hand the wicked shall not go unpunished.” [K.J.V.] Moreover, such anti-Israel alliances are nothing new. They go as bar back as to ancient history. For example the Bible in Psalm 83:3-4 reads “They have taken crafty counsel against they people…They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the mane of Israel may be no more in remembrance. For they have consulted together with one consent; They are confederate against thee.” Further in the same chapter in verses 16-18 it explains the result of such alliances. For verses 16-18 read “Fill their faces with shame; that they may seek thy name, O Lord. Let them be confounded and troubled forever; yea let them be put to shame, and perish: That men may know that Thou whose name is JE-HO-VAH , art the most high over all the earth.” [K.J.V.]
This is the One true God of the Bible Who has the name of Jehovah Who has supreme rule over all the earth. This is in strong contrast to the false pagan Lunar god:the god of Islam, who had the name of Allah.. For in spite of what the apologists for Islam claim that the God of the Bible and the god of Islam are the same God. This claim is false. That this claim is false I had exposed in some detail in some of my earlier posting on this site as well as in my blog.
In conclusion, the whole point being is that Hamas and other like minded Islamic groups will never succeed in their agenda of destroying the State of Israel because of the Bible will not allow it to be destroyed.
el-cid says
In fact, this article is propaganda saying that UNRWA does not allow the misuse of its facilities and that it polices them vigorously. I sincerely doubt the veracity of that. They are presenting this case as a example of a highly unusual situation. Probably quite common–some real information would be welcome.
The other piece of propaganda is the mission of UNRWA. It is written as “assistance and protection” of 5 million “refugees”. and the number is growing. Of course, the number of refugees except as defined by UNRWA cannot grow since the refugees were recognized in 1949. Only by UNRWA’s definition, refugees are the descendants of refugees. Of course, the rolls have been increased even more. Arafat claimed to be a refugee. Edward Said said that “we are all Palestinian Refugees”. Idiots in the West think that “Palestinians” are “Native Peoples” and Jews are the “White Settlers” when in fact that metaphor fits better the other way round.
UNRWA is a growth industry constantly looking for funding.
The original mission of course was to help actual refugees back on their feet. There are maybe 30,000 actual refugees.
Keith says
Is anyone really suprised? What I find suprising is that the UNWRA still exists.
There were only so many refugees created when the surrounding Arab nations invaded the newly created state of Israel in 1948 even the youngest of those would be 68 now so why is the status of refugee hereditary? No other refugees throughout the world have been able to pass on their status as refugees to their children. They have all been accommodated by the surrounding nations. Is it just because they are Muslims and Muslims require special treatment from the rest of the world?
No Fear says
The title picture shows a woman who covers herself from head to toe in front of a group of 8 (?) year olds. Is she afraid of being raped by the 8 year olds or is she afraid that one of the 8 year olds will think she is “hot”?
What a mental illness is this Islam.
Tzipporah says
The Israeli version of the story:
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/15346#.U8lflPldVm0
“United Nations Relief and Works Agency, is responsible for 75% of the Gaza population who dwell in “temporary” UNRWA refugee camps since 1949 – with the expectation that they will eventually be allowed to return to their villages that existed before 1948 from which they fled with the promise of return after the Arab nations succeed in wiping out Israel.”
Eric Hoffer
May 26, 1968
“The Jews are a peculiar people: things permitted to other nations are forbidden to the Jews. Other nations drive out thousands, even millions of people, and there is no refugee problem. Russia did it, Poland and Czechoslovakia did it. Turkey threw out a million Greeks and Algeria a million Frenchman. Indonesia threw out heaven knows how many Chinese and no one says a word about refugees. But in the case of Israel displaced Arabs have become eternal refugees. Everyone insists that Israel must take back every single Arab.
Arnold Toynbee calls the displacement of the Arabs an atrocity greater than any committed by the Nazis.
Other nations when victorious on the battlefield dictate peace terms. But when Israel is victorious, it must sue for peace. Everyone expects the Jews to be the only real Christians in this world.”
These are the only people who are refuges forever. More Jews were thrown out of Arab countries at the same time but were absorbed and live productive lives. This is the 5th generation of refuges. It is a ploy for perpetual victimhood. They live waiting for the Law of Return and are living on our money.