AA clerical error led the UN to falsely accuse Israel of shelling one of its Gaza schools in the Jabalya refugee camp during Operation Cast Lead, the international organization admitted this week.

The strike made international headlines and was one of the many incidents of civilian deaths that led nongovernmental organization and international politicians to call for Israelis to be charged with war crimes for the 22-day military offensive.

Israel in turn initially said that it shelled the school only after it had been fired on by Hamas gunmen hiding in the compound and then, upon reexamination, shifted to say that an errant shell had hit the school.

At the time UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called the IDF attack "outrageous" and demanded an investigation.

But on Tuesday, the UN's Office for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) slipped a "clarification" notice on the head of its weekly field report from Gaza.

It noted that its January 6 field report had stated that an IDF shell hit outside the school, causing fatalities. Its January 7 field report, however, stated that the shell hit the school.

"The humanitarian coordinator would like to clarify that the shelling, and all of the fatalities, took place outside rather than inside the school," the original field report stated.

The United Nations agency that administers a school in Gaza where dozens of civilians were killed by Israeli mortar fire last week has admitted to employing terrorists to work at its Palestinian schools in the past, has no system in place to keep members of Hamas or Islamic Jihad off its payroll, and provides textbooks to children that contain hate speech and other incendiary information.

A growing chorus of critics has taken aim at the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in recent years, although momentum on Capitol Hill has been slow. But last week's incident, which Israel maintains was prompted by Hamas operatives firing mortars at Israelis from a location near the school, has prompted some lawmakers to scrutinize the U.N. agency.

Rep. Steve Rothman, D-N.J., introduced a resolution in the fall calling for greater transparency and accountability at UNRWA. The bill called on the agency to make its textbooks available on the Internet for public inspection and to implement "terrorist name recognition software and other screening procedures that would help to ensure that UNRWA staff, volunteers, and beneficiaries are neither terrorists themselves, nor affiliated with known terrorist organizations."

Rothman said he plans to re-introduce his UNRWA resolution in the coming weeks because, "as timely as this bill was before, it is even more timely now. It is urgent that Congress can be assured that U.S. taxpayer money is not being spent to support Hamas and its murderous activities."

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Originally posted by JBA2848
U.N. Agency That Runs School Hit in Gaza Employed Hamas and Islamic Jihad Members

The United Nations agency that administers a school in Gaza where dozens of civilians were killed by Israeli mortar fire last week has admitted to employing terrorists to work at its Palestinian schools in the past, has no system in place to keep members of Hamas or Islamic Jihad off its payroll, and provides textbooks to children that contain hate speech and other incendiary information.

A growing chorus of critics has taken aim at the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in recent years, although momentum on Capitol Hill has been slow. But last week's incident, which Israel maintains was prompted by Hamas operatives firing mortars at Israelis from a location near the school, has prompted some lawmakers to scrutinize the U.N. agency.

Rep. Steve Rothman, D-N.J., introduced a resolution in the fall calling for greater transparency and accountability at UNRWA. The bill called on the agency to make its textbooks available on the Internet for public inspection and to implement "terrorist name recognition software and other screening procedures that would help to ensure that UNRWA staff, volunteers, and beneficiaries are neither terrorists themselves, nor affiliated with known terrorist organizations."

Rothman said he plans to re-introduce his UNRWA resolution in the coming weeks because, "as timely as this bill was before, it is even more timely now. It is urgent that Congress can be assured that U.S. taxpayer money is not being spent to support Hamas and its murderous activities."

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BEIT LAHIA - After Israeli ground invasion of Gaza Strip, Palestinian families in Beit Lahia has found safety in UNRWA schools. More than 50 people including 17 children have been killed by Israeli air strikes and artillery fire in less than three days in the Beit Lahia area.The people in this northern town and the surrounding area, have no food or water left, and only access to electric power during 1.5 of 24 hours.

Local Mosques, public and governmental buildings (including schools) pharmacists, hospitals, homes, markets,farmland, police cars, ambulances and private cars has been targeted,bombed and destroyed by the Zionists. The Palestinian resistance, Good Bless them, held the northern frontier of Gaza Strip, stationed in and around of Beit Lahia,where the resistance is strong, defending courageously the little town in spite of heavy Israeli bombardments.

Three young men from Beit Lahia were killed in an Israeli airstrike last night in an attack on the "Asma Elementary School" in Gaza City, the school was clearly marked as a United Nations installation. Rawhi Jamal Ramadan Al Sultan 25,Hussein Mahmoud Abed Al Malek A l Sultan 24, and Abed Samir Ali Al Sultan 19, all died in the attack.. Earlier in the evening they were among over four hundred people, who had fled their homes in Beit Lahia in northern Gaza , to find shelter in the UNRWA school.
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Originally posted by ManBehindTheMask
reply to post by jimmyx

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Yeah looks like something launched from behind the building there. My opinion these are pictures in Palestine , being touted as something Israel has done. Propaganda.

On April 22, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) released the results of its internal investigations into its behavior during the recent fighting, concluding that it "operated in accordance with international law" throughout the fighting and that "a very small number" of "unavoidable" incidents occurred due to "intelligence or operational errors."