Amnesty International Accuses Hamas of Killing, Torturing Palestinians

An international human rights group says Hamas has killed or tortured dozens of Palestinians the militants accused of "collaborating" with Israel. Amnesty International says at least 24 men have been shot dead by Hamas gunmen since the end of December, and scores more have been kidnapped, shot in the legs, beaten or tortured. T

he London-based group asserts in a report released Tuesday that the attacks began shortly before Israel's 22-day military offensive targeting the Gaza Strip, and continued after a cease-fire took effect January 18.

Amnesty International says the victims include former members of the Palestinian Authority security forces and other activists from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party.

Hamas has not yet responded to the report.

There has been a lot of talk about the position of Hamas. Some people say that it is a legitimate political organization, while others accuse it of brutality and terrorism. My question is would the people of Palestine be better or worse off with or without Hamas?

Edit: (article source) www.voanews.com...

[edit on 18-2-2009 by Founding]

[edit on 18-2-2009 by Founding]

reply to post by Founding


Looks to me like Hamas are taking out Israeli informers. But hey, what's the greater crime, the thousands of civilians in under ground Israeli prisons, the slaughter of civilians in Gaza or Hamas killing a few people they accuse of being informers. A least they give a reason.

[edit on 082828p://pm2801 by masonwatcher]

reply to post by masonwatcher


Can you at least try to type something without an agenda. The focus is on Hamas not Israel. That is the point of this thread. So would you like to try again and answer the questions I asked.

It's been known for some time that Hamas has killed and tortured people for some time now. Can or more accurately should an outside force remove Hamas; no. The removal of Hamas from it's current position of power must come from the Palestinian people. The Palestinians must take control of their own destiny and decide if they wish to continue with the continual military action against Isreal which they can't hope to win or if they wish to take the more difficult route and build a country with a future.

Should the Palestinians decide to build a future for themselves and their children it will be the most difficult thing they will ever do. It's easy to play the victim and in a very real way they are victims but it's time and past for them to take control. If they decide to do build then I hope and pray that they receive support from not only their Arab neighbors but from the West as well.

reply to post by gallopinghordes


Good points. They are responsible for their actions and their future. Hamas was not the best choice but it was their choice. To some that is enough to justify the decision but for me it's not. Those that give up liberty for temporary safety deserve neither, Ben Franklin....That point still applies.

reply to post by Founding


And it was Israel's choice, this last president choice. And they are again making a extreme right coalition. Sad

reply to post by deccal


Care to explain or are you always so ambiguous?

Originally posted by Founding
reply to post by deccal

 

Care to explain or are you always so ambiguous?

You are accusing Palestinian people to choose Hamas, but look also to other side of the coin.
Isreali People choosing always extreme right, almost fascistic governements. Now the worst is coming because Livni going opposition (although Livni was not much better either).
Short: Israeli people should find a milder, healthier governement.
Fear and hate has two sides.

reply to post by deccal


This thread is not about Israel. It is about Hamas and the people of Gaza, I stated that in the very beginning. Also, you are using a logical fallacy called ad homoniem, proving that Israeli has the done the same thing does not make the Palestinian choice right it only makes the Israeli choice wrong. I hope you will reply with something that is related to the thread topic. Thank you.

Originally posted by Founding

They are responsible for their actions and their future. Hamas was not the best choice but it was their choice. To some that is enough to justify the decision but for me it's not. Those that give up liberty for temporary safety deserve neither, Ben Franklin....That point still applies.

reply to post by Founding


It is quite on Topic..
Sİnce Isreal's governement getting more radical and radical, so are the choice of Palestinian People.
You said above: it is their choice, and they are responsible..They are responsible from the attacks of Israel. You are trying to say this.
I am trying to say, it has two coins.
No ad hominem. Look again the definition of it.

There is more to the story, not that it makes it right but it helps to paint a complete picture....

The following is from the Amnesty International Site, the original source of the information:

All three were killed within 24 hours of escaping from Gaza’s Central Prison. One of the brothers, Mahmoud, aged 24, reached the family home in the middle of the afternoon of 28 December, but, an hour later, a group of gunmen came to the house and took him away......

As well as those accused of "collaboration" with the Israeli army, other detainees from Gaza Central Prison were found dead with gunshot wounds hours after the prison was bombed by Israeli forces and the detainees fled. Among them was Nasser Mohammed Mhanna, a 34-year-old father of six, and a commander of the al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, Fatah’s armed militia.

Nasser Mohammed Mhanna had been detained since August 2008 and was serving a two-year prison sentence on charges of participating in the attempted assassination of Hamas’ deposed Prime Minister Isma’il Haniyeh.

www.amnesty.org...

Israel bombed a prison in Gaza from which people escaped, they were later killed and tortured by Hamas....


Edit to add: The posted source by the Op is incorrect

the attacks began shortly before Israel's 22-day military offensive targeting the Gaza Strip, and continued after a cease-fire took effect January 18.

The Began during the Israeli offensive not before.

Hamas’ deadly campaign took place during and after the Israeli military offensive

That is according to Amnesty Internationals site


[edit on 20-2-2009 by Obliterated]

reply to post by Founding

There has been a lot of talk about the position of Hamas. Some people say that it is a legitimate political organization, while others accuse it of brutality and terrorism. My question is would the people of Palestine be better or worse off with or without Hamas?

I don't think these people could possibly know what better off is. Regardless of their political representation they are still subjected to the same life. They picked Hamas because they thought they would defend them from the Jews better than Fatah.

These people don't know anything other than killing for survival, it is what they were born into and what ultimately kills them. What do you expect from people who have never experienced a life without bombs and missiles?

It's about time!!! We used to give $$ to Amnesty International. But not for a few years now. They used to be a nonbiased group that actually did some good in the world. Now they are hostage to PC and politics. Glad to see they FINALLY said something.