Israeli regime not really probing Gaza war: Rights group

Rasa - An Israeli rights group says the Tel Aviv regime is only pretending to be probing military misconduct during the 2014 Israeli war on the Gaza Strip.

News ID: 423760

Date: 21 September 2016 - 13:39

RNA - In a report released on Tuesday, the group, B’Tselem, said the ongoing investigation by the Israeli military was only a “façade,” and that it was not investigating the “the true culprits,” namely government officials responsible for policy-making and senior military commanders responsible for actual orders.

The Israeli right groups said the investigation is meant to create the false impression of a functioning system that seeks to discover the truth.

“The work of the military law enforcement system does nothing more than offer the illusion that Israel is fulfilling its obligations to investigate breaches of law,” the group said.

B’Tselem named its report “Whitewash Protocol: The So-Called Investigation of Operation Protective Edge,” referring to the term the Israeli regime used to refer to the 2014 war on Gaza.

Nearly 2,200 Palestinians, including 577 children, were killed during the war. Over 11,100 others, including nearly 3,380 children, 2,088 women and 410 elderly civilians, were also injured in the 50-day military aggression.

Civilian sites, including hospitals, schools and UN shelters, were frequently targeted by the Israeli regime during the war, which was met with an international outcry over Tel Aviv’s countless violation of international law.

Palestinians have filed a complaint at the International Criminal Court (ICC) to have the Israeli violations investigated.

In August, Saeb Erekat, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) secretary general called on the ICC to accelerate the probe.

On August 24, the Israeli army released a statement saying it had closed 13 criminal investigations into cases of violations against Palestinian civilians by Israeli soldiers during the war without imposing any punitive measures.

111/847/C