Spanish prosecution: Freeze war crimes probe against Israeli officials

Spanish prosecutors have asked a Madrid judge to suspend an investigation of seven Israeli officials over a 2002 bombing in Gaza that killed Hamas militant Salah Shehadeh and 14 others, including nine children.

In a writ issued Thursday, prosecutors at the National Court asked Judge Fernando Andreu to hold off because they said Israel is investigating the attack.

Andreu said in January that one reason he agreed to launch the investigation was that Israel had neither responded to a request for information about the bombing nor had it begun its own legal proceedings against the seven officials.

The probe angered Israeli officials. Following consultations, Israel said Spain had agreed to trim the authority of its courts in cases of so-called universal jurisdiction.