Subscribe to Print Edition | Thu., November 05, 2009 Cheshvan 18, 5770 | | Israel Time: 16:50 (EST+7)
Haaretz israel news English
web haaretz.com
Jewish World Haaretz Toolbar
Diplomacy
Defense Opinion National
Print Edition
Car Rental
Focus U.S.A. Strenger than Fiction Business Travel Magazine Week's End Anglo File Books
Palestinian civilians running to safety during an Israeli strike in Operation Cast Lead.
 AP
Share |
Last update - 12:05 04/11/2009
B'Tselem: IDF probes alleged cases of harm to civilians in Gaza
By Haaretz Service
Tags: Israel news 

The Israel Defense Forces criminal investigation division is examining 21 cases where soldiers are suspected of inflicting harm on Palestinian civilians during Operation Cast Lead, writes the Israeli rights group B'Tselem in a report.

According to the report, not one of the investigations has developed enough as to require an official indictment.

The report writes that six cases have been opened to investigation thus far, where soldiers allegedly fired at civilians who waved a white flag, resulting in the killing of nine people including two minors.
Advertisement
B'tselem also reports investigations regarding four cases of IDF soldiers using Palestinians as human shields.

In the report, the rights organization harshly criticizes the IDF's investigation method, but simultaneously claims it will do everything in its power to aid the success of the investigations. "As of now there are only investigations regarding specific events, and there isn't one investigation regarding the operation's general policies or regarding decisions made by government officials," the organization writes in the report.

The report also refers to Defense Minister Ehud Barak's declaration that the government has no intention of investigating the IDF following Operation Cast Lead. "The recent proclamations heard from government officials show that there are absolutely no intentions of investigating this subject," B'Tselem writes in the report.

"For this reason, even if these investigations will lead to indictments against soldiers, they will only be against the lowest ranked soldiers, while those responsible for the policy of the operation will never have to be held accountable for their actions."

B'Tselem claims that the IDF probing itself creates a conflict of interest since no other external body is involved in the investigation. "The investigations are done by an integral part of the IDF and aren't independent probes," the rights group writes in the report. "The military prosecutors that will be deciding on the verdict of the cases were themselves involved in IDF policy during the Gaza operation and even approved specific operations ahead of time."

The IDF spokesman responded to the report saying "the IDF has repeatedly emphasized its commitment to examine every complaint of ill activity on behalf of our forces." According to the IDF, "since Operation Cast Lead, the IDF has been examining more than 100 events that have been the subjects of complaint by rights groups, international organizations, the media, and soldiers who were in the operation."

"It is a shame that B'Tselem organization rushed to publish partial data that isn't credible," the IDF wrote in a statement. "In order to keep things accurate, the following is a data summary of the actions taken regarding events during Operation Cast Lead: 27 events were transferred to the IDF criminal investigation division; 45 events were already investigated and closed due to no evidence of foul actions; and in the 5 investigations of General Staff instructed by the Chief of Staff following the operation, specific events were examined whose findings were transferred for review by the Military Advocate General.

"The results of the investigations to this date show that the IDF generally acted according to laws of the international court in Operation Cast Lead, and even above and beyond them," the IDF statement said. "Nevertheless, operational mistakes were made in some of the cases, but that is unavoidable in this kind of warfare."
PROMOTION: Mamilla Hotel
Bookmark to del.icio.us  
 
Preparing for war
MI chief: Hamas tries weapon that can reach Tel Aviv; public must prepare for Gaza strike.
Weapons ship seized
Israel Navy seizes Hezbollah bound ship carrying tons of weapons from Iran.
  1.   The law of war. 09:02  |  B. Gold 04/11/09
  2.   The IDF probes... 09:25  |  sh 04/11/09
  3.   IDF probe 09:48  |  Andrew 04/11/09
  4.   B`Tselem is a pro-Palestinain lobby group, not a rights group 09:54  |  Joe Sittizen 04/11/09
  5.   yes, law of the war, mr.Gold 10:19  |  Sarah 04/11/09
  6.   #4 Mr Sittizen and B`Tselem 11:04  |  Solovey Razboynik 04/11/09
  7.   The prupose of B`Tselem 12:00  |  Eyal 04/11/09
  8.   This is unthinkable in a democracy ruled by law 12:07  |  r cummings 04/11/09
  9.   No.1B. Gold: the most moral army in the world 12:42  |  natterer 04/11/09
  10.   The IDF investigating itself would be a sham 13:55  |  fred 04/11/09
  11.   b gold 18 15:26  |  potobac 04/11/09
  12.   joe sittizen 5 15:31  |  potobac 04/11/09
  13.   @Solovey Razboynik 15:39  |  Paul Uri 04/11/09
  14.   Mr Razboynik, you obviously miss the facts 15:46  |  Joe Sittizen 04/11/09
  15.   that`s ok than... 15:48  |  rm 04/11/09
  16.   But the problem is not individual cases, `wild-weeds`... 18:27  |  Esther 04/11/09
  17.   B`Tselem has no credibility 18:42  |  Chaim Ben Kahan 04/11/09
  18.   Why race and religion? 19:02  |  Tony Silver 04/11/09
  19.   #8 r cummings will now explain the functions and workings of a de 19:42  |  vhardman 04/11/09
  20.   To vhardman... 20:21  |  Silvienne 04/11/09
  21.   #13 Uri and "sport fairness" 21:25  |  Solovey Razboynik 04/11/09
  22.   #14 Joe Sittizen and the numbers game 21:27  |  Solovey Razboynik 04/11/09
  23.   Crediibility 06:31  |  arieh zimmerman 05/11/09
Special Offers
Advertisement
Eldan Rent a Car
Israel's leading car rental company offers you a 20% discount on online reservations
Date Local Jewish Singles
Ready to meet your match? Join Jdate today!
Junkyard
Junk a car - get free towing nationwide and a tax-deductible receipt
More Headlines
16:47 Netanyahu: Iran's shipment of arms to Hezbollah - a war crime
16:45 Israel releases arms ship said destined for Hezbollah
12:31 U.S. dodges UN debate on Goldstone Gaza report
13:40 Iran warns Germany: Don't let 'Zionists' harm your interests
16:06 Palestinian official: Abbas will not seek re-election
04:05 UN report finds no evidence of arms smuggling to Lebanon
05:27 Israeli scientists find stroke drug could help cure cancer
01:23 TV ROUND-UP: Israel Navy seizes ship carrying hundreds of tons of arms from Iran to Syria
09:59 WATCH: Video of Israel Navy commandeering arms ship
11:12 ANALYSIS / Arms ship seizure just another battle in the secret war with Iran
13:38 Police suspect love quarrel behind teen murder in Arab town
11:16 Israel proposes work camps for illegal migrants
05:08 Thousands of unsterilized dental implants on their way to West Bank
08:31 Israeli students told by Poland trip leaders: Don't wear flag
Home | TV | Print Edition | Diplomacy | Opinion | Arts & Leisure | Sports | Jewish World | Site rules |
| Advert: Recommended Restaurants | Makom: Engaging on Israel
| Search engine marketing
Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, offers real-time breaking news, opinions and analysis from Israel and the Middle East. Haaretz.com provides extensive and in-depth coverage of Israel, the Jewish World and the Middle East, including defense, diplomacy, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the peace process, Israeli politics, Jerusalem affairs, international relations, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Israeli business world and Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora.
© Copyright  Haaretz. All rights reserved