Israeli military opens probe into misconduct in Gaza War
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E-mail Xinhua, June 12, 2015
The Israeli military's chief attorney has ordered to criminal investigations into suspected misconduct during the Gaza war last summer, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said on Thursday.
Military Advocate General Danny Efroni decided to open criminal investigations into three specific incidents, and announced the closing of several high-profile cases of controversial air attacks that resulted in the deaths of dozens of people.
According to a military statement, Efroni said the probes are to be carried out the Military Police.
The first of the three incidents involves an Israeli air strike on a coffee bar at the seafront of the Gaza city of Khan Younis on July 9. The attack killed nine people who gathered to watch the 2014 World Cup games and left a dozen of others wounded.
In a report released by the IDF, Efroni wrote that there are findings suggesting there are "grounds for reasonable suspicion"that the attack was "not carried out in accordance with the rules and procedures applicable to IDF forces."
The second refers to allegations made by a Palestinian who was detained by IDF forces on July 28, a resident of Juhor ad-Dik, a Palestinian village situated 10 km south of Gaza City. The Palestinian complained he was physically struck without justification.
In the third incident, there is suspicion to unlawful and intentional firing of tank shells by IDF forces towards a medical clinic in Gaza. No further details on the incident were provided by the military advocate.
Efroni decided Thursday to close two high-profile cases of Israeli air strikes that had drawn much international criticism, the killing of 15 people in the Al-Salam building on July 21 and the deaths of the Al Najar family members on July 29. No charges were filed.
Up to this date, Efroni has referred complaints of 190 cases from Palestinian residents in Gaza and non-governmental organizations for further examination by a Fact Finding Mission assigned by the previous Chief of Staff, Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz.
Out of these cases, 105 were referred to criminal investigation. Nineteen cases were closed without investigation after a review by the Fact Finding Assessment mechanism, and 15 criminal investigations were ordered without prior review.
In April, three Israeli soldiers were charged for stealing 615 U.S. dollars from a Shajaiya home in Gaza City after a criminal investigation was ordered into the looting incident.
A criminal investigation is also underway into the shelling of a United Nations Relief and Works Agency school in Jabalia in Gaza on July 30, which killed 21 people and injured more than 100.
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