Israel Admits Spraying Poisons Inside Gaza Strip

International law requires occupier Israel to facilitate normal life in Gaza Strip: Rights group

Israeli Army says they sprayed  herbicide to ‘enable security operations.’ Palestinian farmers say the poison has destroyed or damaged hundreds of acres of crops, said a report.

“The Israel army has confirmed that it used crop-dusters to kill off vegetation—and perhaps inadvertently, agricultural crops—inside the Gaza Strip last week.”

“The aerial spraying of herbicides and germination inhibitors was conducted in the area along the border fence last week in order to enable optimal and continuous security operations,” an IDF Spokesperson told +972 on Sunday.

Although various crops including beans, peas, parsley and Spinach were destroyed around the al-Qarrara area in eastern Khan Younis and the Wadi al-Salqa area in central Gaza, the Israeli media failed to report the application of herbicides.

“The IDF has for years imposed a lethal no-go buffer zone along the Gaza border. The army killed at least 16 Palestinians and wounded at least 379 more who entered or approached the no-go zone in recent months, most of whom were participating in demonstrations along the fence,” said the report.

“Spraying crop-killing pesticides, like opening fire at people of all ages and gender in the vicinity of the fence, puts civilian lives at risk and hurts livelihoods,” the spokesperson for Gisha, an Israeli rights group that works to promote freedom of movement for Palestinians in Gaza, told 972+. “By virtue of Israel’s substantial control of the Gaza Strip, international law requires it to facilitate normal life in the Strip.”  Read more…

Related Links

• Gaza Declared a Disaster Area July 31, 2014
• Genocide in Gaza: Dozens Killed in ‘Shejaiya Massacre’ July 21, 2014
• Genocide in Gaza: New Phase Begins July 14, 2014

22,370 People Killed or Injured in 2015 Iraq Violence

Carnage continues in Iraq, as Army regains control of Ramadi, Anbar’s provincial capital

Some 22,370 people have been killed or injured as a result of acts of terrorism, violence and armed conflict in Iraq, said UN Mission in Iraq (UNAMI)

UN Casualty Figures for the Month of December 2015

A total of 980 Iraqis were killed and another 1,244 were injured in acts of terrorism, violence and armed conflict in December 2015*, according to casualty figures released today by UNAMI.

The number of civilians killed was 506 (including 18 federal police, Sahwa civil defense, Personal Security Details, facilities protection police and fire department), with 867 civilians injured (the figure includes 41 federal police, Sahwa civil defense, Personal Security Details, facilities protection police and fire department).

Additionally, 474 members of the Iraqi Security Forces (including Peshmerga, SWAT and militias fighting alongside the Iraqi Army) were killed and 377 others injured.

“The year 2015 has seen thousands of Iraqis killed and injured as a result of conflict and terrorism. This is unacceptable,” said the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Iraq (SRSG).

“The Iraqi people have every right to live in peace and tranquility. The United Nations continues to deplore this continuing loss of life,” he added.

Baghdad was the worst affected Governorate with 1048 civilian casualties (261 killed, 787 injured), Ninewa 68 killed and 17 injured, while Salahadin 12 killed and 30 injured, Kirkuk 24 killed and 06 injured and Diyala had 10 killed and 06 injured.

According to information obtained by UNAMI from the Health Directorate in Anbar, in December 2015 the Governorate had a total of 139 civilian casualties (124 killed and 15 injured). Anbar casualty figures are through 29 December 2015, inclusive.

The total number of Civilian Casualties (killed and injured) for 2015 (including Police and including Anbar¹) in the entire 2015 was 22,370 (7,515 killed and 14,855 injured).

According to Iraq Body Count, a total 16,204 civilians were killed in In Iraq last year.

Meanwhile, the Iraqi Army announced earlier this week it had regained full control over the strategically important city of Ramadi, the provincial capital of Anbar.

*CAVEATS: In general, UNAMI has been hindered in effectively verifying casualties in conflict areas. Figures for casualties from Anbar Governorate are provided by the Health Directorate and are noted below. Casualty figures obtained from the Anbar Health Directorate might not fully reflect the real number of casualties in those areas due to the increased volatility of the situation on the ground and the disruption of services. In some cases, UNAMI could only partially verify certain incidents. UNAMI has also received, without being able to verify, reports of large numbers of casualties along with unknown numbers of persons who have died from secondary effects of violence after having fled their homes due to exposure to the elements, lack of water, food, medicines and health care. For these reasons, the figures reported have to be considered as the absolute minimum.

[1] UNAMI/HRO did not obtain the casualty figures from the Anbar Health Department for October and November 2015.