Red Cross visit to Shalit not possible: Hamas

RAMALLAH: Hamas rejected Friday an Israeli demand to allow representatives of the International Red Cross to visit kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Thursday that Israel would not lift its blockade of the Gaza Strip unless Hamas agreed to allow representatives of the Red Cross to visit Shalit.

The deputy chief of Hamas Politburo, Mousa Abu Marzouk, said in a press statement that the group will not allow visitors because that would compromise the secrecy of his hiding place. Abu Marzouk added that if Israel knew of Shalit's whereabouts in the Gaza Strip and could not gain his release, it would bomb the location in order to kill him. This would endanger the lives of Palestinians living in the vicinity, the official said.

According to Abu Marzouk, there is no connection between the blockade of Gaza Strip and the imprisonment of Shalit as Israel claims. He said Shalit's conditions are better than those of thousands of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. Abu Marzouk said that Shalit is enjoying his full rights unlike Palestinian prisoners.

He said negotiations to reach a deal between Israel and Hamas which would allow for the release of the Israeli soldier are currently frozen. Shalit has been in Palestinian captivity since he was captured in a 2006 cross-border raid.

http://arabnews.com/middleeast/article64586.ece

arena .

That is quite disgusting .

If Hamas had any decency , it would release him right away.

You mean like visits from the International Red Cross?

investigation of the Flotilla Massacre. Unless the prefer the Red Crescent.

If we can tolerate Israel's violations of International law. Then we can tolerate Hamas' violations. I'm starting to like this slogan. International Law. It's not just for the enemy anymore. This also goes into the Third Geneva Convention. Not only is Shalit entitled to it's protections. So were the passengers on the flotilla. But if Israel is not going to be responsible for those in their chain of command. Shalit no longer qualifies for GC protections due to Israel's refusal to take responsibility for their chain of command.

Was there not risk in declaring intent to break a naval blockade, then refuse to stop once initially confronted? I don't see why you only see fault with one side.

The provisions of the San Remo Manual only comes into play when the "breach" or are "breaching" the blockade. They were no where near the blockade. So they couldn't have possibly been doing that. The also no legitimate reason to believe the ship was of an enemy character. So the preboarding attack was also illegal. It was also an act of war. Open and armed hostility. That bring the Third Geneva convention into play. The ship was a sovereign and non occupied territory of teh flaging country.

(6) Inhabitants of a non-occupied territory, who on the approach of the enemy spontaneously take up arms to resist the invading forces, without having had time to form themselves into regular armed units, provided they carry arms openly and respect the laws and customs of war.

That they could have changed their mind and course at any time? Then why didn't they?

This was a set up. A no-win situation for Israel. An intentional provocation. The Mavi-Marmar contained no aid for Gaza, despite being the largest ship. It had 700 activists and had announced intentions to break the blockade. Could one consider this an act of war?

I am for an investigation of the boarding of the vessel and the carnage that ensued. But to say there was "no legitimate reason to believe the ship was of an enemy character" is a difficult justification for allowing it to pass uninspected. Whether the blockade is something you consider appropriate or not, legal or illegal, it currently exists. But to deliberately create an incident and then claim innocence to provocation...I am troubled by that as well.

then I guess that kills the one of favorite talking points that Hamas has refused to accept that none existent aid

I do agree that this was a set up. I disagree that this was a no win situation for Israel.

They knew this was to be a public relations stunt - and instead of using it to their advantage, they squandered it with a military option.

What they should of done was to loudly proclaim that they would be boarding the flotilla and searching it for arms. If it was found to be clear of weapons, they should of escorted the flotilla right to Gaza and overseen the unloading of the cargo. They should of done this in the bright full light of day, with all those international journalists recording everything. All those satellite images would be broadcast all over the world.

This is a "win" for Israel because it undermines the flotilla's original intent - to portray Israel in an unflattering light. This is a "win" for the people of Gaza, because they gain aid. This is a "lose" for Hamas, because it portray's Israel as being level headed, and not entirely devoid of compassion. They should of used all those journalists to their advantage.

Instead, we are left with - he said, she said. Instead, we are left with satellites being jammed, camera's and all recording equipment confiscated, nine people dead, six missing, Israel with a huge black mark over its credibility, and two(?) Iranian ships with military escort headed to Gaza.

sure- they wanted to provoke an incident - but how Israel CHOOSES to react to that provocation - that belongs to them - not Hamas, not Turkey, not Iran. Stupid leadership give you stupid reactions. Stupid leadership actually helps Hamas instead of helping your cause. Ahmadinajad is stupid....does Netanyahu have to be too?

I agree whole heartedly. We shouldn't even tolerate our own violations. Unfortunately we do. The only thing we can really control is our own actions. Apparently that's just too easy and no damned fun.

:banghead: Until that damned wall falls!

(Yes, also why punish Gazans collectively for the kidnapping of Shalit - but one doesn't justify the other.)

International law should not be about hostage-taking, vigilante justice, and nation-based guilt-by-association.

A completely different organization - the International Committee of the Red Cross - is the only equipped and identified by treaty to do this work.

Read more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ICRC

and yet more proof that for the current right wing party(s) in control of Israel this kid is more value a "chess piece" than he would be if he was freed

It is their responsibility to find a way to make it safe.

“Extensive Report on Palestinian Detainees In Israeli Prisons”, an article by the International Middle East Media Center, gives some figures from the report.


Some quotes:

“The researcher added that the army does not target a specific segment of the society as the illegal arrests target women, children, elderly, students, lawyers, doctors and workers, and that most of the kidnapped Palestinians were tortured.”

“But after the second Intifada started in late September 2000 until this day, the army carried more than 70,000 arrests with a rate of 7,000 arrests each year.”

“The Palestinian researcher further stated that 198 Palestinians died in Israeli prison, detention and interrogation centers. Most of the detainees died due to torture and lack of medical attention.”

“Farawna further stated that arrests are still ongoing, and the conditions in Israeli prisons are becoming worse than before, while the number of sick detainees is increasing, including dozens who have serious diseases and health conditions.

Furthermore, Farawna said that the violations against the detainees are escalating, and voiced an appeal to human rights groups to intervene in order to put an end to the ongoing violations carried out by Israel against the detainees and their internationally guaranteed rights.”


More figures from 1967 till today are in the article:

http://www.imemc.org/article/58892