(Ynet News) Yoav Keren - I looked for myself on the list of 200 Gaza Operation "war criminals" published online last week. I performed almost a month of reserve duty during the operation, yet received no mention. I served in the Gaza Division war room for 26 days and saw everything in real time. I saw how every time we had to curb Kassam rocket fire from populated areas, officials considered it seven times and meticulously calculated the firing range and angle so as not to hurt civilians by mistake. I also saw how, to be on the safe side, the army consulted with its legal advisor and with a representative of the Coordination and Liaison Administration who were regularly deployed in the war room. I saw the great seriousness in addressing a water pipe that burst in Rafah, and the kind of effort invested in order to bring food into Gaza and allow ambulances to evacuate wounded Palestinians from the war zone. I also participated in assessment sessions with the division commander; a major part of them pertained to humanitarian issues. I walked around the Israeli town of Sderot, which looked like a ghost town after sustaining hits from dozens of Kassam rockets, and I also saw the Grad missiles making their way to Ashkelon without anybody being able to stop them. Believe me, it's not a heart-warming sight.
2010-11-26 08:44:23Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive