Ibrahim al-Maqadma Mosque attack

At 5:20 pm on January 3, the IDF attacked the western entrance of Ibrahim al-Maqadma Mosque in Beit Lahiya at the time of Maghrib prayer.{{Cite news |last=Quraishy |first=Samira |date=January 3, 2010 |title=MEMO's Diary of the War Crimes in Gaza - Day Eight |url=https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20100103-memos-diary-of-the-war-crimes-in-gaza-day-eight/}} Witnesses said over 200 Palestinian men were praying at the mosque at that time.{{cite news |

title = Israel fires artillery shells into Gaza |

url= https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/jan/03/gaza-israel-attacks-artillery |

work = The Guardian |

date = January 3, 2009

| location=London

| first=Matthew

| last=Weaver

| accessdate=April 23, 2010}}

At least 16 people, including six children were killed, and more than 60 wounded.[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7809959.stm Israeli troops enter Gaza Strip] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171004032520/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7809959.stm |date=October 4, 2017 }} BBC News. January 3, 2009 Almost all those of were killed were still inside the mosque building at the time of death.{{Cite web |date=25 September 2009 |title=Report of the United Nations Fact-Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict |url=https://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrcouncil/docs/12session/a-hrc-12-48.pdf |pages=184–187}} Paramedics arriving at the scene described seeing "people cut to pieces". One dead child's leg was blown off by the explosion and later found on the roof.

A paramedic interviewed by The Observer said there was no evidence of any militants among the casualties.

The mosque was in a densely populated residential area, close to Kamal Edwan Hospital and the locals did not expect this area to get hit. Neighboring homes were also damaged. The locals had combined Maghrib and Isha prayers, as was customary in times of distress. The mosque is named after a founder of Hamas "Ibrahim al-Makadmeh" who was killed by the Israelis in 2004.{{cite news |

title = Six children among 12 killed in mosque blast |

url= https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/jan/04/mosque-blast-gaza |

work = The Guardian |

date = January 4, 2009

| location=London

| accessdate=April 23, 2010

| first1=Rajeev

| last1=Syal

| first2=Hazem

| last2=Balousha}}

Israel accused Hamas of using mosques to hide weapons and ammunition.{{cite web

|title=Gaza: Hamas gunmen hide in hospitals

|url=http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3648020,00.html

|publisher=YNET

|date=December 31, 2008

|accessdate=January 4, 2009 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090101103034/http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0%2C7340%2CL-3648020%2C00.html

|archivedate=January 1, 2009 |url-status=dead

}} The IDF Spokesperson's Unit published videos showing secondary explosions that occurred after they had targeted mosques with missiles, alleging these were caused by the weapons and ammunition hidden inside of them.{{cite web|author=idfnadesk |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCVr7MBhgj0 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211215/LCVr7MBhgj0 |archive-date=2021-12-15 |url-status=live|title=Weapons Hidden in Mosque Neutralized by Israel Air Force |publisher=YouTube |date= December 31, 2008|accessdate=August 17, 2014}}{{cbignore}}{{cite web|author=idfnadesk |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwP_LusgPAw |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211215/jwP_LusgPAw |archive-date=2021-12-15 |url-status=live|title=Weapons in Gaza Mosque Struck by Israel Air Force |publisher=YouTube |date= January 2009|accessdate=August 17, 2014}}{{cbignore}} In July 2009, the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a report stating that, "the IDF inquiry revealed that the mosque was not attacked at all." The report also stated that "the individuals reported as killed in this incident were in fact killed in other incidents not involving the mosque. Further, the supposed 'civilians' who were casualties of the attack were in fact Hamas operatives killed while fighting against the IDF." It was also noted that IDF rules of engagement "expressly forbid attacks directed against sacred places, unless they are used for military purposes."{{cite web|title=THE OPERATION IN GAZA, 27 December 2008 – 18 January 2009 FACTUAL AND LEGAL ASPECTS |url=http://www.mfa.gov.il/NR/rdonlyres/E89E699D-A435-491B-B2D0-017675DAFEF7/0/GazaOperation.pdf |publisher=Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs |date=July 29, 2009 |pages=144–145 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090823140923/http://www.mfa.gov.il/NR/rdonlyres/E89E699D-A435-491B-B2D0-017675DAFEF7/0/GazaOperation.pdf |archivedate=August 23, 2009 |url-status=dead |accessdate=July 30, 2009 }}

The report of the UN Fact-Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict (aka the Goldstone report) stated that the Israelis intentionally bombed the al-Maqadmah mosque on the outskirts of Jabilyah when between 200 and 300 men and women attended for their evening prayer, with fifteen people dying. The South African jurist Richard Goldstone, who led the fact-finding mission, said "Assuming that weapons were stored in the mosque, it would not be a war crime to bomb it at night... It would be a war crime to bomb it during the day when 350 people are praying". Judge Goldstone referred to the incident as a case where there is no other possible interpretation for what could have occurred other than a deliberate targeting of civilians. The report concluded that the al-Maqadma mosque was hit during evening prayers by an Israeli missile, killing at least 15 people and injuring 40 others. The report noted that there was no evidence that the mosque had been used to store weapons or that it was being used by Palestinian militants at the time.{{cite news|url=http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Guardian/documents/2009/09/15/UNFFMGCReport.pdf|title=Human Rights in Palestine and Other Occupied Arab Territories: Report of the United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict|via=The Guardian|date=September 15, 2009|accessdate=September 15, 2009 | location=London| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20091007095811/http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Guardian/documents/2009/09/15/UNFFMGCReport.pdf| archivedate= October 7, 2009 | url-status= live}} The report further described response of the Israeli Government, alleging that the mosque was not attacked at all, as "unsatisfactory and demonstrably false".{{cite news|url=http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Guardian/documents/2009/09/15/UNFFMGCReport.pdf|title=Report of the United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict|publisher=United Nations Human Rights Council|accessdate=September 15, 2009 | location=London| archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20091007095811/http://image.guardian.co.uk/sys-files/Guardian/documents/2009/09/15/UNFFMGCReport.pdf| archivedate= October 7, 2009 | url-status= live}}

Researcher of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs (JCPA) colonel (res.) Jonathan Halevi asserted that in the course of the inquiry the commission did not consider other possibilities, such as a drone strike aimed at a group of militants nearby that could be supported by the fact that the blast hit just outside the mosque.{{cite web|url=http://www.forward.com/articles/116269/ |author=Gal Beckerman |work=The Forward |date=October 7, 2009 |title=Goldstone: 'If This Was a Court Of Law, There Would Have Been Nothing Proven.' |accessdate=October 29, 2009 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091012180058/http://www.forward.com/articles/116269/ |archivedate=October 12, 2009 |url-status=live }} He also stated that "[a]n examination of freely accessible Palestinian sources shows that the casualties in this incident were terrorist operatives", specifically naming 7 out of the 15 dead.[http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1253198167357&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull Analysis: Blocking the truth behind the Gaza war] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110719105908/http://fr.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1253198167357&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull |date=July 19, 2011 }}, JPost, September 22, 2009[http://jcpa.org/JCPA/Templates/ShowPage.asp?DRIT=1&DBID=1&LNGID=1&TMID=111&FID=442&PID=0&IID=3086&TTL=Blocking_the_Truth_of_the_Gaza_War Blocking the Truth of the Gaza War], JCPA, September 18, 2009. Accessed September 23, 2009. [https://web.archive.org/web/20090927112641/http://jcpa.org/JCPA/Templates/ShowPage.asp?DRIT=1&DBID=1&LNGID=1&TMID=111&FID=442&PID=0&IID=3086&TTL=Blocking_the_Truth_of_the_Gaza_War Archived] 2009-09-26. According to witness statements, between 200 and 300 people were worshipping in the mosque when the attack took place. First hand investigation by Judge Goldstone's team revealed evidence of significant shrapnel damage within the mosque. The report also says that the mosque had unexpectedly combined its sunset and evening prayers on the day of the incident, and it is possible that this detail was not known to the IDF at the moment of the strike, added Halevi.

According to a 2010 report by the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, following investigations carried out by Israel into allegations of misconduct and violations of the Law of Armed Conflict by the Israel Defense Forces, "an IDF officer was severely reprimanded and two other officers were sanctioned for failing to exercise appropriate judgment during an incident that resulted in civilian casualties in the Al-Maqadmah mosque".{{cite web |url=http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Terrorism-+Obstacle+to+Peace/Hamas+war+against+Israel/Gaza_Operation_Investigations_Second_Update_July_2010.htm |author=State of Israel |date=July 19, 2010 |title=Gaza Operation Investigations: Second Update| accessdate= November 23, 2011 }}

{{Reflist|2}}

• [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Zd55Zhj5gQ Weapons Horde in Gazan Mosque 13 Jan. 2009] IDF Spokesperson's Unit postings on YouTube,
• [http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Terrorism-+Obstacle+to+Peace/Terror+Groups/Hamas_Exploitation_Civilians_Jan_2009.htm Hamas Exploitation of Civilians] Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Selected Videos. January 13, 2009.
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20110524112842/http://www.terrorism-info.org.il/malam_multimedia/English/eng_n/pdf/hamas_e065.pdf The use of mosques for military and political purposes by Hamas], The Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center, March 1, 2009.
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20090425125726/http://dover.idf.il/IDF/English/News/today/09/4/2201.htm IDF Releases Information on Military Investigations related to Operation Cast Lead], IDF Spokesperson, April 22, 2009.

{{2008–2009 Israel–Gaza conflict}}

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