Israeli cleared for shooting schoolgirl
By Khalid Amayreh in Jerusalem
Saturday 16 October 2004, 15:53 Makka Time, 12:53 GMT
The Israeli army has cleared a commander serving in the southern Gaza
town of Rafah of any wrongdoing a few days after he riddled a
Palestinian girl's body with bullets.
The company commander, whose identity was not revealed, shot
13-year-old Iman al-Hams as she was on her way to school in Rafah. A
few minutes later he riddled her body and head with 15 to 20 bullets to
make sure she was dead.
The practice, known as verification of killing, is used widely in the
Israeli army after shootings of Palestinians.
Chief of Staff Lieutenant-General Moshe Yaalon on Friday concluded that
the platoon commander acted properly and that no action should be taken
against him.
In a briefing to the Israeli cabinet last week, Yaalon argued that the
officer should be given the benefit of the doubt, saying he suspected
she could have been used by Palestinian fighters to divert soldiers'
attention and lure them from their positions.
Witnesses
However, soldiers serving under the officer's command gave damning
evidence, suggesting he killed the girl in cold-blood before "emptying
his entire magazine to her head".
Some say Israeli soldiers are
taught to kill young Palestinians
"We saw her from a distance of 70m," one of the soldiers is quoted as
saying.
"She was fired at and shot from the outpost. She tried to flee but was
wounded badly. I understand she was dead.
"The commander walked toward her, he shot her two additional bullets
before returning to the outpost. Then he returned to the girl, put his
weapon on the automatic mode and emptied his entire magazine."
"Our hearts ached for her - just a 13-year-old girl. How can anyone
spray a girl from close range? The commander was hot for a long time to
take out Arabs and shot the girl to relieve pressure."
The Israeli army radio, Gali Tzahal, on Thursday quoted another soldier
as saying that the commander was "waiting impatiently to see an Arab
pass by to kill him".
Changing story
When the incident occurred nearly 10 days ago, an Israeli army
spokesperson said the girl might have been carrying a bomb in her
school bag, and that she had to be killed to rule out any risk to
troops.
It was also said that she might have tried to lure out soldiers so
Palestinian snipers could shoot them.
The Israeli army later said the girl entered a closed military zone and
had to be killed.
Since the outbreak of the Palestinian uprising against the Israeli
military occupation more than four years ago, the Israeli army and
paramilitary Jewish settlers have killed an estimated 600 to 700
Palestinian children and minors.
Civilian victims
Since the beginning of October alone, the Israeli army has killed at
least 124 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, the bulk of them civilians.
Relatives of Ghadir Mukhaimar
grieve at her funeral
According to the Israeli human rights organisation B'tselem, up to 30
children were among the victims, including nine-year-old Ghadir
Mukhaimar who was shot by an Israeli sniper last week while sitting in
her class in Khan Yunis, south of Gaza City.
Israeli army spokespeople normally explain child fatalities as
happening in "crossfire" or "in vague circumstances".
However, Palestinian officials and human rights groups argue that the
killing of Palestinian children and civilians is carried out "knowingly
and deliberately".
"Do you think all these kids were killed by mistake?" said Muhammad
Yusuf, head of the disaster management unit at the Palestinian Red
Crescent Society in Gaza.
"The fact that a disproportionate number of Palestinian civilians are
killed by the Israeli army in this unequal conflict shows there is a
deliberate and conscious Israeli policy to kill civilians."
Trigger happy
He told Aljazeera.net Israeli troops often fire artillery shells at
crowded streets and neighbourhoods, aware that the shells will kill and
maim children and civilians.
"Criminality toward the Palestinians is an old and intrinsic instinct
in the overall Israeli mentality"
Muhammad Yusuf, disaster management head, Palestinian Red Crescent
Society, Gaza
Asked why he thought the army would target civilians, he said:
"Criminality toward the Palestinians is an old and intrinsic instinct
in the overall Israeli mentality.
"They are taught to kill the Palestinians when they are very young.
They are taught that another holocaust could happen if they don't
destroy their enemies. That is why Israeli soldiers murder our kids
without the slightest guilt."
And the Israeli media does little to deny that the army is occasionally
light on the triggers.
Indeed, the newspaper Haaretz quoted a high-ranking officer earlier
this month as saying: "Our troops will not be meticulous about the
direction of their bullets."
Moreover, it is clear that the Israeli army views the killing of
Palestinian civilians as an integral part of the losses Palestinians
must incur as punishment for their uprising against occupation.
One Israeli soldier was quoted as saying on Thursday: "We have erected
100 mourning tents for them," alluding to the killings in Gaza during
the past two weeks
=====
Leo Imanov
Abdu-lLah
AllahsSlave
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