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Israel Defends Conduct of Gaza War

Cases of excessive force were rare, army says

By Nick McMaster, Newser Staff

Posted Mar 27, 2009 2:11 PM CDT

(Newser) – The Israeli army is defending its actions during the recent Gaza conflict, claiming that, contrary to reports, its soldiers did not act with excessive force or with disregard for the lives of Palestinian civilians, the New York Times reports. Officials have moved to discount one story in particular: an account that says a sniper killed a woman and her two children after they entered a restricted area.

Though a conversation discussing the incident was caught on tape, the army says those soldiers did not witness the event, and that only warning shots were fired near the family. Awful events certainly occurred during the conflict, but “the proportion and effort and directions we gave to our soldiers were entirely in the opposite direction,” a reserve colonel said.

[Images (2)]

[Quotes (1)]

Two Palestinian women inspect piles of trash left behind by Israeli soldiers in a home commandeered by Israeli soldiers during the recent Gaza offensive, in Gaza City, Monday, March 23, 2009. (AP Photo/Hatem Moussa)

A Palestinian boy is seen on the rubble of a house destroyed in the Israeli military offensive in Gaza, in the Jebaliya refugee camp, northern Gaza Strip, Sunday, March 15, 2009. (AP Photo/Hatem Moussa)

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There are idiots who do immoral things. But they don’t represent the majority. I remember once a soldier wanted to take a Coke from a store and he was stopped by his fellow soldiers because it was wrong.
- Yishai Goldflam, Israeli soldier

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COMMENTS

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Showing 3 of 3 comments

hannesh

Mar 28, 2009 10:48 AM CDT

on one of the walls around Bethlehem it said (at least 4 years ago) "Jews = Nazis" and looking at the way they would treat regular families, old men at checkpoints and what i heard, this crystallized the current events so aptly.

JonmarkP

Mar 27, 2009 8:20 AM CDT

The oppressed become the opressor. Israel has become a Fascist state; their persecution of the Palestinians is indefensible and morally repugnant.

drlarrymitchell

Mar 27, 2009 8:01 AM CDT

I mean, yeah, we killed thousands, but WE SAVED THAT COKE!

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Israel Defends Conduct of Gaza War