US condemns shelling of UN school in Gaza but restocks Israeli ammunition

[pseudolus]

US condemns shelling of UN school in Gaza but restocks Israeli ammunition
White House issues unusually strong rebuke after 16 deaths
But Pentagon confirms that US resupplied Israel with ammunition



Palestinians inspect a damaged classroom of the UN school in Jabalia, northern Gaza. Photograph: Mohammed Saber /EPA


The United States issued a firm condemnation of the shelling of a United Nations school in Gaza that killed at least 16 Palestinians on Wednesday, but also confirmed it restocked Israel’s dwindling supplies of ammunition.

The White House expressed concern that thousands of civilians who had sought protection from the UN were at risk after the shelling of the girls’ elementary school. Some 3,300 civilians were taking shelter there, after being told by Israel to leave their homes.

The UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, which runs the school, said its initial assessment was that it has been struck by Israeli artillery.

“The United States condemns the shelling of a UNRWA school in Gaza, which reportedly killed and injured innocent Palestinians – including children – and UN humanitarian workers,” said Bernadette Meehan, a spokeswoman for the White House’s National Security Council.

“We are extremely concerned that thousands of internally displaced Palestinians who have been called on by the Israeli military to evacuate their homes are not safe in UN designated shelters in Gaza.”

Meehan and other US officials that condemned the attack did not specifically accuse Israel of responsibility for the shelling, saying there were conflicting reports about the circumstances of the incident that required further investigation. They did not specify the nature of those conflicting reports.

However Washington’s implied condemnation of Israel marked the strongest language used by the US since the conflict in Gaza began. The US also strongly criticised the hiding of weapons at UN facilities in Gaza, although officials acknowledged they did not know if rockets had been stored at the UNRWA school.

“All of these actions, and similar ones earlier in the conflict, are inconsistent with the UN’s neutrality,” Meehan said. “This violence underscores the need to achieve a ceasefire as soon as possible.”

At the same time however, there was little evidence of Washington using its leverage with Israel, including record levels of military aid, to apply pressure on Jerusalem to curtail its offensive.

The Pentagon confirmed a CNN report that the US had recently provided Israel with a shipment of ammunition. “The United States is committed to the security of Israel, and it is vital to US national interests to assist Israel to develop and maintain a strong and ready self-defense capability,” said Pentagon press secretary Rear Admiral Kirby. “This defense sale is consistent with those objectives.”

The Israeli military requested the addition ammunition on 20 July . The US defense department approved the sale three days later, Kirby said.

Two of the requested munitions were sourced from a secret stockpile the US keeps in Israel for emergencies. White House approval was not required to release the weaponry War Reserve Stockpile Ammunition-Israel (WRSA-I), Kirby added. He did not say whether the White House was involved in the decision to supply the other ammunition apparently requested by the Israelis.

The provision of ammunition could prove controversial for Washington, which has expresssed growing concern about the deaths Palestinian civilians while maintaining support for its close ally.

In Congress, both Democrats and Republicans were working on a package of additional military support for Israel’s “iron dome” security system.

Israel’s decision to press ahead with its offensive in Gaza despite a chorus of international condemnation was reaffirmed on Wednesday, following a meeting of the Israeli cabinet.

UNRWA said it was the sixth time one of its schools had been struck. “Last night, children were killed as they slept next to their parents on the floor of a classroom in a UN-designated shelter in Gaza. Children killed in their sleep; this is an affront to all of us, a source of universal shame,” said Pierre Krahenbuhl, commissioner-general.

“We have visited the site and gathered evidence. We have analysed fragments, examined craters and other damage. Our initial assessment is that it was Israeli artillery that hit our school, in which 3,300 people had sought refuge. We believe there were at least three impacts.”

Israel has repeatedly accused Hamas of using UN facilities as cover and UNRWA has discovered caches of rockets hidden at some of its schools.

A UN source said there was no evidence of militant activity inside the school attacked on Wednesday.

The state department withheld judgment on the UN’s assessment that Israel was behind the latest attack, saying there should be a more thorough investigation to establish culpability. While voicing mounting concern, US officials appeared reluctant to directly criticise its close ally after days of growing friction with Jerusalem that has occasionally surfaced in anonymous briefings in the press.

“We don’t know if there were rockets in the school,” said Marie Harf, a deputy spokeswoman at the state department, explaining Washington’s refusal to apportion explicit blame for the shelling. “We don’t know for certain who shelled the school.”

The UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon directly contradicted that position, saying the attack, which he described as “outrageous” and “unjustifiable”, had been perpetrated by Israel. Ban said that “all available evidence points to Israeli artillery
as the cause” of the pre-dawn attack, and he pointedly noted that Israeli military authorities had received the coordinates of the school from the United Nations 17 times, including on Tuesday night.

US condemns shelling of UN school in Gaza but restocks Israeli ammunition | World news | theguardian.com

[terry57]

The USA would be well served by saying absolutely nothing regards the Deaths in Gaza.

Jesus, the amount of innocent people they have killed in their wars are legendary.

Vietnam was out and out pure murder of untold innocent people.

[bsnub]

Vietnam was out and out pure murder of untold innocent people.

And you Aussies were right down in the muck with the yanks doing your share.

[terry57]

^

That is only because our Government is shit scared not to support the US in their wars whether they consider them right or wrong.

Always will do.

Pathetic really innit.

[zygote1]

^

That is only because our Government is shit scared not to support the US in their wars whether they consider them right or wrong.

Always will do.

Pathetic really innit.

Australia's contributions have also been in Australia's perceived national interests. The Australian participation in Vietnam was at the height of Chinese communist funded insurgencies throughout SE Asia. Altogether, only about 7700 Australians were deployed at the peak of involvement. I think the common number of total service people deployed over a decade was 60,000.

Sort of funny that Australia gets picked on for its activity. 30,000 Canadians volunteered for service in Vietnam, enlisting in the US military, and Canadian industry is estimated to have sold $12 1/2 billion worth of goods to support the war, including an estimated $2.6 billion of direct military equipment and ordinance. Some of Canada's impressive exports at the time were napalm, agent orange, and mines. And yet, not much is said about that.

[terry57]

There is Another reason the Australian Government panders to the USA.

We are such a weak country Military wise that if we ever where Invaded we would need Uncle Sam to pull us out of the shit.

Saying that, it's not hard to understand why Australia will always bend over for the USA.

[terry57]

And you Aussies were right down in the muck with the yanks doing your share.

You are quite correct but you get what I'm saying right. ?

[bsnub]

And you Aussies were right down in the muck with the yanks doing your share.

You are quite correct but you get what I'm saying right. ?

Yes but my father served in Vietnam and he didn't kill any innocents and I doubt Davis did either. Lots of good people served honorably in Vietnam. Just answering a draft call.

[pseudolus]

Just answering a draft call.

Indeed. Sad isn't it. Manipulating and using such a positive emotional response (bravery, courage, doing what they think is right, integrity, moral fortitude) in the people of their country to such nasty devious means.

I hope that one day people who refuse to fight for someone else's profit will also be dubbed brave and courageous.

[bsnub]

I hope that one day people who refuse to fight for someone else's profit will also be dubbed brave and courageous.

I agree.

[pseudolus]

The whole situation just shows how completely the US is owned by the zionist lobby and how little their words actually mean.

"Bad israel.

Here's some more death bombs. Don't use them on civilians again of else we will have to say "Bad Israel" again and you know we don't like that. "

[bsnub]

The whole situation just shows how completely the US is owned by the zionist lobby and how little their words actually mean.

It is not that simple. There is not much of a zionist lobby per se the conservatives in the US are the most staunch allies of Isreal in the country. These people are also highly religious they believe that the Jews must be in control of the holy lands for the second coming of christ. They are the primary interest group in the US that makes up most of the zionist lobby not the jews themselves. Nonetheless, it is still pandering to jewish interests unfortunately.

[pseudolus]

jews themselves.

You said Jews, mate, I said Zionists, which you have just described perfectly.

Joe Biden is a Zionist after all....

[bsnub]

^ Basically every fundamentalist Christian in the US is a zionist. That is a lot of people.

[billy the kid]

that's a new one on me bsnub.
so anyone( Christian) who supports an Israeli state is zionist.

[billy the kid]

on camera in Israel a whole bunch of people were singing
'there's no schools in Gaza cos we killed all the kids'
repeat 3 times.
did i really hear that
yes i did.
and they all seemed to be rejoicing ,,, kill kill kill fecking scum bla bla.

unbelievable.

[Fluke]

Theres a video of kids in Gaza singing "We love Billy the Kid, say we love Billy the Kid" to the tune of Kool & the gangs opps upside your head

[bsnub]

so anyone( Christian) who supports an Israeli state is zionist.

Yes that is a fact.

[Necron99]

so anyone( Christian) who supports an Israeli state is zionist.

Yes that is a fact.

Anyone non christian who supports a jewish Israeli state in the Levant is a zionist too...

[thaimeme]

Should this not be expected.
Sugar Daddy speaks out of both sides very well.

All the while condemning every little skirmish around the world [U.S. interest or not] with strong talk, sanctions, interventions, etc.

But when it comes to sweet and benign Israel - different story.
Blind defence and apologists are the call of the day.

Not really news, as it's been the factual way it is for ages.
Yet, fodder for heated and extreme discussions for sure.

[billy the kid]

for the second coming of christ.

he'd have to be a bit of a madman to wanna go back there.


oh yea oh yea.

[thaimeme]

^ Basically every fundamentalist Christian in the US is a zionist. That is a lot of people.

That would include the American white supremacist circles and extremist conservative orders, all whom consider themselves fundamentalist?

[with the excepting of the freaky Mormons, who fashion themselves as extended family [of Zionists]

Very short of being Zionists nor taking these positions.
Just the contrary.

[Fluke]

.

All the while condemning every little skirmish around the world [U.S. interest or not] with strong talk, sanctions, interventions, etc.

But when it comes to sweet and benign Israel - different story.
Blind defence and apologists are the call of the day.

.

? This thread is about the U.S condemning Israel .
You are saying that the U.S never condemns Israel in a thread entitled "U.S. condemns Israel"
Most strange

[Necron99]

^ Basically every fundamentalist Christian in the US is a zionist. That is a lot of people.

That would include the American white supremacist circles and extremist conservative orders, all whom consider themselves fundamentalist?

[with the excepting of the freaky Mormons, who fashion themselves as extended family [of Zionists]

Very short of being Zionists nor taking these positions.
Just the contrary.

No, they would want the filthy christ killers out of Merica and in Israel where the bible says they belong...

[thaimeme]

.

All the while condemning every little skirmish around the world [U.S. interest or not] with strong talk, sanctions, interventions, etc.

But when it comes to sweet and benign Israel - different story.
Blind defence and apologists are the call of the day.

.

? This thread is about the U.S condemning Israel .
You are saying that the U.S never condemns Israel in a thread entitled "U.S. condemns Israel"
Most strange

The condemnation and "strong" language is not real.
Purely rhetorical whimsy from the American establishment.

They feel, within the international community, that they have to put on the act - yet have no real harsh intentions.

You [like many numb cnuts] are obviously not aware of the theatre that goes on.