CAIRO,
October 21 (IslamOnline.net) – Although soldiers serving under his
command testified that he killed the 13-year-old Palestinian
schoolgirl in cold blood, an Israeli army investigation exonerated the
unit’s commander of any wrong doing, reported a leading British
newspaper on Thursday, October 21.
It
was broad daylight when Iman Al-Hams, wearing her school uniform and
carrying her satchel, was gunned down by Israeli soldiers in Gaza's
Rafah refugee camp, reported The
Guardian.
She
walked past her school, crossed the road and climbed down a small
sandy bank to an area that was an olive and citrus orchard until the
army's bulldozers flattened it in April and declared a "forbidden
zone", added the mass circulation.
Several
soldiers in the Israeli unit responsible, the Shaked battalion,
accused their commander of giving the order to shoot knowing the
target was a young girl, and of then emptying the clip of his
automatic rifle into her, added the British daily.
One
soldier told the Israeli Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper : "The
company commander approached her, shot two bullets into her, walked
back towards the force, turned back to her, switched his weapon to
automatic and emptied his entire magazine into her. We were in shock.
We couldn't believe what he was doing. Our hearts ached for her. Just
a girl of 13."
Other
soldiers said if the commander was not dismissed they would refuse to
serve under him.
"It
is a disgrace that he is still in his position. We want him kicked out
