Eyewitness account of Israeli massacre of Lebanese refugees

On 15th July 2006, 23 people, most of them children, were killed as they drove in two vehicles, trying to leave the village of Marwahin, which the Israelis had warned would come under attack. One of the vehicles was an open pickup truck, whcih contained most of the victims. An Israeli helicopter - easily close enough to identify the victims as children - strafed the pickup. Robert Fisk interviewed some of the survivors, and here is his account of the events of that day.



Apparently the Israeli government and army have yet to comment on this atrocity. Perhaps out of shame, more likely from indifference. Is there anyone who can truly support the Israelis in this kind of action?

Normally, when the Israeli army perpetrates this kind of obscenity, it's in the context of the ongoing occupation of Palestinian land and the intifada. There's a cycle of violence there that allows both sides to claim priority. Here there can be no such excuse.

How do US citizens feel knowing that their tax monies provided the equipment and ammunition used in murdering 23 innoncents, most of them children?

How do I feel, as a US taxpayer?

I feel sick and ashamed.

Anyone who doesn't has no conscience.

Then again, I firmly believe that this world is Hell, so in that respect a rocket attack on a truck full of children is par for the course.

American support for Israel is a travesty. Then again, it's not like we have a reputation left to protect. Anyone who has the faintest clue how we got this country to begin with, and how we rose to prominence in the world, knows just how many skeletons are in the old closet.

I've just looked to see if there were any replies to this post... not that many, which is in a way, hardly surprising... but I've had a look at the adverts that have been placed in the sidebar, and it's astonishing: two Jewish/Israeli dating sites, a "no-spin" blog from an Israeli officer, a "free speech zone" about Israel that, though I'd love to see it, won't load... amazing.

I just hate when I read any thing involving Israel cause it all way something so inhuman and WE pay for it. True hardly surprising but wrong and should not be ignored what so ever. The Israelis people are sick of this to, it isn't them!

Since this was written by Mr. Fisk, it will be par for the course that it will be denied and tallied up to anti-semetic sympathy towards the terrorists of course. Then of course there will be the others who will instead blame it on Hezbollah and say they were hiding amongst those people as an excuse for the israelis attrocities. This will just be another "Get Out Of Jail Free" card handed to these criminals as its been for the past 60 some-odd years.

Pie

I just want to add to this


Israel has concluded its "Internal Investigation" of the unfortunate bombing of the UNIFIL outpost by saying that their maps were in error. UNIFIL had wanted to question the IDF Commanders regarding the case and were denied access to them. I think they are full of it. If their maps were wrong they would have missed the base all together, and their avoiding being questioning is highly suspicious. No matter what Mr. Fisk , United Nations, International Citizenry will say about anything Israel does, does not matter. They will do as they please, when they please and to whomever they please. They will deny any wrongdoing and there will be many people to support them.

I'm on the record many times over for blasting the Israeli conduct in dealing with the Palestinians and others, but to condemn the IDF or the entire nation for this incident is wrong, unless someone can show where the crew of that apache helicopter reported what they saw back to their HQ and received permission to fire anyway. Until then, it's just one apache helicopter crew performing a criminal act.

Yeah... and shelling the Gaza beach was just one more criminal act: and shooting Tom Hurndall in the head was just another; and cutting Rachel Corrie in two with an armoured bulldozer was another... and all the way back to the massacre at the Sabra and Shatila camps, and beyond.

Let alone all the Palestinians who are killed that we don't even hear a word about because of the rather biased media coverage.

I thought the 'shelling' at the Gaza beach turned out to be some militants playing with an unexploded artillery shell, trying to set it as a booby trap, who wound up blowing themselves up? Am I mistaken?

In any case, it doesn't matter - I agree with your contention.

Yes, this is an isolated incident, but along with many other isolated incidents it forms a horrible pattern. Of course it needs to be said that nobody is blameless in this mess, and I think it would be foolish to take sides. That's precisely why we shouldn't be bankrolling the Israelis to the detriment of the rest of the region.

If they all wanna play silly bugger, I say let them get it out of their systems. Maybe in a few thousand years children will be able to play in parks in the ME, and adults will be able to go to a club or a coffee shop or a market without worrying about hidden bombs or aerial bombardments.

Until that day, American taxpayer money should be spent on programs to help Americans and improve American infrastructure (which is falling to bits, BTW), I don't see how any other course of action is sensible.

How dare the Israeli military to attack innocent civilians. They should only attack military targets just like hezbollah and hamas does.

I'm sure that the pilot did not target a truck load of children on purpose. When will those people learn that if they will leave Israel alone, Israel will leave them alone?

I agree with WyrdeOne that our tax dollars should be kept at home. We give away billions of dollars every year to a bunch of people that would just as soon as see us dead. I say keep our money at home and help our own people and let the others make do the best way that they can. Then maybe they will have something else better to do rather than fight. Let them figure out how to feed themselves rather than build bombs. The money never gets to the ones that need it any way.

rich23 I'll grant you that a plethora of such "isolated incidents" over time shows a grevious lack of proper military training, or purposeful tactics by the IDF, or perhaps even a national bias against such targets. In the case of the Palestinian people I believe it has been sufficiently shown that Israel as a nation is purposefully oppressing them; however, I cannot yet buy into the same conclusion regarding Israeli actions against the Lebanese people. That may, in fact, turn out to be the case, but I don't think that has been sufficiently proven yet.

Should additional evidence over time convince me that Israel is treating all arab peoples as second class or worse, then I would be inclined to go along with the withdrawal of U.S. support for Israel. Just bear in mind that there is a definite downside to doing so.

[edit on 1-10-2006 by Astronomer70]

Originally posted by WyrdeOne
I thought the 'shelling' at the Gaza beach turned out to be some militants playing with an unexploded artillery shell, trying to set it as a booby trap, who wound up blowing themselves up? Am I mistaken?

That was disinfo the Israelis put out that was later discredited, afaik.

Originally posted by MBF
I'm sure that the pilot did not target a truck load of children on purpose. When will those people learn that if they will leave Israel alone, Israel will leave them alone?

Well your certainty about the situation flies in the face of all the facts. Apparently when people deny facts that conflict with their version of reality, the reward centre of their brain gets active... so you must be a happy bunny indeed. According to the eyewitness, who was travelling with a group of children (and the bodies were, after all, accounted for),

an Israeli Apache helicopter arrived over the vehicle, very low and hovering just above the children

You didn't even have to click on the original article to see that. I'd`love to know what these children had done to Israel. Perhaps from your superior knowledge of the situation you could enlighten me? Perhaps the helicopter pilot was blind? Or mistook the children for a group of midget terrorists that had committed atrocities against Israel?

Originally posted by Astronomer70
I cannot yet buy into the same conclusion regarding Israeli actions against the Lebanese people. That may, in fact, turn out to be the case, but I don't think that has been sufficiently proven yet.

I think a casualty ratio of over ten to one tells its own story, plus the wanton destruction of civilian infrastructure. The atrocity Fisk has investigated is only one of many tales: the Israelis are KNOWN in the region for targeting ambulances for air strikes. I can provide links for this if you really need, but you sound like a not unreasonable person who could do their own research. All I can say is that the US media is even more heavily propagandised than the British media, and the pro-Israeli lobby in the US is extremely powerful. Note that I didn't say "Jewish" lobby: it's important to realise that a significant factor in support for Israel comes from that element of fundamentalist Christian nutters who believe in the end times scenario, who now have the ear of the White House. Also, there are many Jewish people who, to their credit, accept that the Israeli government is a festering sore on the face of the world body politic akin to South Africa (which the US also supported through its dark years) decades ago.

... I would be inclined to go along with the withdrawal of U.S. support for Israel. Just bear in mind that there is a definite downside to doing so.

Which is?

Like it’s not the MO over in the Middle East for Islamic militants to smuggle arms by loading them in vehicles full of children/elderly/wounded? Its funny how all our modern weapon systems seem to have problems with hitting things over there like hospitals, churches, and baby milk factories. If you think that anyone with two brain cells to rub together buys this stuff for two minutes, your nuts. By showing sympathy about it your only encouraging them to continue these types of practices as they think they are swaying public opinion over to their side. I realize that friendly fire does occasionally occur, but not with the frequency that Islamic propaganda would have any logical being believe.

rich23

I applaud you for continueing to shine light on situations like this. I formed an interest in Israel and the O.T of Palistine whilst investigating the origins for turmoil in the Middle East.

I must say that IMO the evidence of hate crimes, breaches of human rights, and the displacement and persecution of Arabs (in fact anyone that isn't Jewish) is abundant. There is simply too much evidence to be denied or discredited.

I don't understand how people can turn a blind eye to these horrible actions. I don't understand how the average American still looks at the Israeli's as the "victims" and cannot (or will not) connect the dots to find the true cause of Palistianian and Lebanese terrorism.

Sometimes i get sick of caring. People like you remind me to keep the faith.

You have voted rich23 for the Way Above Top Secret award. You have two more votes this month.