France ‘Warns’ Israel Over Gaza Casualties
November 15, 2011France warned Israel on Tuesday not to endanger civilians after one of its diplomats and his family was wounded in a retaliatory strike carried out by the IAF.
French foreign ministry spokesman Bernard Valero said the French consul in Gaza, ‘Franco-Palestinian’ citizen Majdi Shakura, was injured in an airstrike on the Hamas-run enclave in the early hours of Monday morning.
According to Shakura, the blast blew out the windows of his house, resulting in the diplomat and his 13-year-old daughter being cut by flying glass and his 42-year-old wife to miscarry two months into her pregnancy.
The strike reportedly targeted the nearby home of a member of the Hamas terror organization, which controls Gaza. Local emergency services said a 20-year-old member of Hamas’ ‘naval security forces’ was killed in the strike.
“France regrets this airstrike,” Valero said. “While being committed to Israeli security, France notes the absolute necessity of avoiding all harm to civilians. The Israeli authorities have been reminded of this imperative.”
Legal experts note – contrary to popular belief – there is no such requirement under international laws governing warfare.
Billeting combatants, storing munitions, and launching attacks from civilian areas as Hamas does is a violation of international law. Nor is Israel proscribed from launching counter-strikes on such areas if legitimate military targets are present.
Rather, potential civilian casualities have to be weighed against the military necessity of the strike – which in Israel’s case is aimed at protecting its own civilian population.
The Israeli military said Tuesday that it was not aware of any diplomat being wounded in its action, and said it had launched the strike in response to rocket fire against Israeli civilians from the targeted site.
Relations between Paris and Jerusalem have been strained in recent days, after French President Nicolas Sarkozy was caught calling Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu a ‘liar’ on an open microphone. Sarkozy attempted to reassure the Prime Minister afterwards that their friendship is intact.
Similar posts
-
How Israel Helps Its Arab Neighbors
September 27, 2023Introduction Israel, a country known for its rich history and complex geopolitical landscape, ha...
-
The Amazing Country of Israel
September 15, 2023Introduction Nestled in the heart of the Middle East, Israel is a nation with a remarkable histo...
-
Israel Safeguards The World From Terror Attacks
August 23, 2023Introduction In an era where terrorism poses a significant threat to global security, Israel sta...
-
Israel Helps The World With Water Recycling
August 10, 2023Introduction In a world grappling with the challenges of water scarcity and resource management,...
-
Israel's Remarkable Female Soldiers
July 26, 2023Introduction When we think of the Israeli military, we often conjure up images of well-trained s...
-
About Gal Gadot's Cleopatra Movie
July 18, 2023By Katy Rath Gal Gadot's new Cleopatra movie has been steeped in both anticipation and controver...
-
Israel Empowers The World Through Innovation
July 10, 2023BY: SOLVE ISRAEL'S PROBLEMS Introduction:In recent years, Israel has emerged as a global powerho...
-
The Jerusalem Embassy, 5 Years Later
May 22, 2023By Nikki Haley On May 14, 2018, something incredible happened. The United States...
