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Last update - 17:57 13/08/2008
IDF probe clears tank crew in death of Gaza journalist last April
By News Agencies
Tags: Gaza Strip, IDF, journalists 

The Israel Defense Forces has closed an investigation into the death
of a Reuters cameraman in the Gaza Strip last April, clearing the tank crew that killed the young journalist of any wrongdoing and saying the soldiers will not face any disciplinary action.

Reuters said it was deeply disturbed by the findings and was considering
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nspecified legal action, while Israel's Foreign Press Association warned the army probe could encourage further violence against journalists.

The army found that troops acted properly when they opened fire on Fadel
Shana, suspecting he was a militant preparing to fire a missile after he set up a tripod in a Gaza battle zone. Shana was killed instantly by a tank shell that sprays a hail of metal darts at its target. Four bystanders also died in the attack.

In light of the reasonable conclusion reached by the tank crew and its
superiors, that the characters were hostile and were carrying an object most likely to be a weapon, the decision to fire at the targets ... was sound, Brig. Gen. Avihai Mandelblit, the army's top prosecutor, said in a letter sent to Reuters. The news agency made the letter public on Wednesday.

In a statement issued at its London headquarters, Reuters said the army probe could effectively give soldiers a free hand to kill, without being sure of the identity of their targets.

"I'm extremely disappointed that this report condones a disproportionate use of deadly force in a situation the army itself admitted had not been analyzed clearly," said David Schlesinger, Reuters' editor in chief. They would appear to take the view that any raising of a camera into position could garner a deadly response.

Shana, 24, was killed on April 16 while covering clashes between Gaza
militants and Israeli troops. Just before his death, Shana was filming an
Israeli tank about one mile away, and his final video showed it firing a shell in his direction. The video cut off just as the shell burst in front of him.

The shooting occurred on a day of clashes in which three Israeli soldiers and 20 Palestinians were killed.

In its report, the army said the tank commander sought permission to open fire after spotting a small group of people attaching an unidentified black object to a tripod and pointing it toward the tank.

"The tank crew was unable to determine the nature of the object mounted on the tripod and positively identify it as an anti-tank missile, a mortar or a television camera," Mandelblit wrote.

He noted that earlier in the day, Israeli troops had also come under fire from mortar shells, and a rocket-propelled grenade was fired at a tank.

"These contributed to a heightened sense of risk, and strengthened the genuine suspicion that the persons identified were in fact a threat to the tank and its crew," Mandelblit wrote.

He also said Shana and Wafa Mizyed, a Reuters colleague wounded in the attack, were wearing body armor commonly used by Palestinian militants.

"The tank crew's superiors, asked to authorize firing by the tank, reasonably concluded ... that the characters identified by the tank were hostile, and posed a threat to the tank and its crew," he wrote.

However, Reuters said the men's blue flak jackets, and their vehicle, were clearly marked as press. Palestinian journalists in Gaza commonly wear the blue vests with English markings to avoid harm, while militants wear black or camouflage vests loaded with grenades or military equipment.

The Foreign Press Association, which represents international news
organizations operating in Israel and the Palestinian territories, expressed dismay over the Israeli report. It said the findings were the latest in a long line of cases clearing soldiers of deadly negligence, and noted Shana clearly identified himself as a journalist.

"The mere suspicion of possible hostilities should not be enough to justify overwhelming deadly force," the FPA statement said. "We hope that the army's conclusion does not appear to give soldiers free license to fire without being sure of the target, greatly hindering the media's ability to cover the conflict.

Eight other journalists have been killed covering the West Bank and Gaza Strip since 1992, according to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists.

Reuters said it had sent a letter to the Israeli army raising a number of
questions, including why the soldiers ruled out the possibility that Shana was a cameraman, why they suspected hostile intent after he stood in full view of the tank for several minutes and why the tank did not move out of site if the crew suspected, but was unsure, it might be attacked.

Reuters said it was examining its options for legal action but declined to comment further.
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  1.   Tripod mounted video cameras look exactly like antitank weapons 18:07  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 13/08/08
  2.   Did we honestly expect anything else? 18:18  |  Silvienne 13/08/08
  3.   Gaza journalist 18:35  |  Sandy 13/08/08
  4.   silvienne....a most unfortunate incident 18:42  |  Lynn 13/08/08
  5.   A sinking state 19:22  |  Zack 13/08/08
  6.   Cameramen posing as journalists 19:30  |  Slappy 13/08/08
  7.   yet more war criminals with blood on hands get off 19:31  |  Jeremy Martin 13/08/08
  8.   #2 and $ Silvienne and lynn 20:03  |  Jak 13/08/08
  9.   International investigation required. 20:32  |  Palestinian Brit 13/08/08
  10.   What a Surprise! 20:33  |  Jack 13/08/08
  11.   terrorist groups like the IDF are not known for morals or justice 20:37  |  anti-racist 13/08/08
  12.   Silvienne # 2 20:59  |  ChanahS 13/08/08
  13.   Cleared by the IOF 21:02  |  yuval 13/08/08
  14.   independent 21:04  |  rm 13/08/08
  15.   #8, Jak, and what do you suppose the "facts" to be? 21:17  |  Silvienne 13/08/08
  16.   #4, Lynn...a little too "convenient"... 21:20  |  Silvienne 13/08/08
  17.   #10, Jack...no surprise here.. 21:24  |  Silvienne 13/08/08
  18.   #7, Jeremy Martin.."IDF killed 5,000 Palestinians" 21:27  |  Silvienne 13/08/08
  19.   How Conveeeenient 21:28  |  Lee Kaplan 13/08/08
  20.   #12, ChanahS...I`ve said this many times!!! 21:33  |  Silvienne 13/08/08
  21.   A sobering contrast 21:34  |  Axel 13/08/08
  22.   #2 silvienne - little miss know it all 21:44  |  Adrian de Klerk 13/08/08
  23.   One more whitewash ... 22:07  |  Maki 13/08/08
  24.   Why the pre-eminent rule of self defence makes sense 22:36  |  Brad 13/08/08
  25.   #17 Sivienne, Your Argument is "Guilt By Association" 22:48  |  Jack 13/08/08
  26.   Journalists should know they risk life in war-zone 23:28  |  Free Gilad Shalit 13/08/08
  27.   An Honest vbut Sad Mistake 23:33  |  Baruch Gold 13/08/08
  28.   Axel - you just don`t get it 01:52  |  ChanahS 14/08/08
  29.   Simple Silvienne 01:57  |  ChanahS 14/08/08
  30.   #2 Silvienne - Journalist in combat zones take chances 03:51  |  * BEN JABO 14/08/08
  31.   #21 OX el - Very interesting indeed 04:42  |  * BEN JABO 14/08/08
  32.   #16 Silvienne - Of course it would have suited you 04:50  |  * BEN JABO 14/08/08
  33.   #1 Margie, what is Israel doing putting tanks in there? 04:50  |  Johnboy 14/08/08
  34.   #19 Lee Kaplan (I`ll just bet) 05:10  |  * BEN JABO 14/08/08
  35.   Paranoia Kills 05:18  |  Tony Price 14/08/08
  36.   Johnboy`s assumption about `main battle tanks` 07:33  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 14/08/08
  37.   Cursed 08:52  |  Julian 14/08/08
  38.   "reasonably concluded...that the characters were hostile" 15:42  |  rob 14/08/08
  39.   #22, Adrian de Klerk, despite your daft sarcasm, I know one thing 17:25  |  Silvienne 14/08/08
  40.   #29, Charming ChanahS uses namecalling...again 17:28  |  Silvienne 14/08/08
  41.   #19, Lee Kaplan... 17:33  |  Silvienne 14/08/08
  42.   Ben Jabo re: Lee Kaplan... 17:36  |  Silvienne 14/08/08
  43.   In a war zone, IDf has all the right to protect itself 17:37  |  Jean 14/08/08
  44.   #39 Silvienne - Civilians shouldn`t mix themselves 17:38  |  * BEN JABO 14/08/08
  45.   All in civil clothes, all targets 17:39  |  maurice 14/08/08
  46.   Johnboy & Margie...tanks, indeed! 17:39  |  Silvienne 14/08/08
  47.   #39 Silvienne - you still haven`t answered 21:49  |  Adrian de Klerk 14/08/08
  48.   #46 Silvienne - Neither you or Johnboyboy 22:30  |  * BEN JABO 14/08/08
  49.   #47, Adrian de Klerk 22:55  |  Silvienne 14/08/08
  50.   #42 2ND TRY Silvienne - Didn`t you recognize 00:54  |  * BEN JABO 15/08/08
  51.   #36 Margie and her analogy 01:39  |  Johnboy 15/08/08
  52.   exactly 01:44  |  sad j 15/08/08
  53.   #48 BEN JABO - when a war isn`t a war but is a war but isn`t 03:46  |  Johnboy 15/08/08
  54.   Tank Shell 07:30  |  AZ 15/08/08
  55.   #48 It is quite sad that I have to point this out to BEN 16:09  |  Johnboy 15/08/08
  56.   #50, Ben Jabo... 17:36  |  Silvienne 15/08/08
  57.   #53, Johnboy... 17:45  |  Silvienne 15/08/08
  58.   #35 Johnboy - I hate to tell you 19:46  |  * BEN JABO 15/08/08
  59.   #56 Silvienne - One rose does not a summer make 19:50  |  * BEN JABO 15/08/08
  60.   #59, Ben Jabo...I`ve only known one person who... 17:14  |  Silvienne 18/08/08
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