Rights group: Panel failed to address war crimes

 

LONDON: Human rights group Amnesty International on Thursday criticized an Israeli report into the 2006 Lebanon war, saying it had failed to address major issues, including war crimes committed by its soldiers.

 

The Winograd Commission report published Wednesday was “deeply flawed” and did not probe government policies and military strategies that did not discriminate between Hizbullah fighters and Lebanese civilians, Amnesty said.

 

Amnesty”s Middle East and North Africa program director, Malcolm Smart, said the study was “another missed opportunity to address the policies and decisions behind the grave violations of international humanitarian law – including war crimes – committed by Israeli forces.”

 

“The indiscriminate killings of many Lebanese civilians not involved in the hostilities and the deliberate and wanton destruction of civilian properties and infrastructure on a massive scale were given no more than token consideration by the commission,” he added.

 

The long-awaited report said the 34-day war was a “serious missed opportunity” for the Jewish state while there were “serious failings and flaws” in military and political strategy.
 

But it also spared Prime Minister Ehud Olmert from particular criticism.

 

Amnesty International said there was “no serious attempt” to probe violations of humanitarian law or recommend prosecutions for perpetrators.

 

The London-based human rights group has previously accused both sides of war crimes for deliberately targeting civilians and “indiscriminate and disproportionate” attacks on civilian infrastructure.

 

On Thursday it recommended Israel set up an independent inquiry into its soldiers” actions and a ban on cluster bombs, as well as helping the clean-up operation by providing data about where they were fired.

Hizbullah should “renounce its unlawful policy” of reprisal rocket attacks against Israeli civilians and ensure that its fighters distinguish themselves from civilians as much as possible, Amnesty added.

The two Israeli soldiers whose abduction was a spark for the conflict should be treated humanely at all times and have access to the Red Cross, Amnesty said.