OCCUPIED
JERUSALEM, August 22 (IslamOnline & News Agencies)- Israeli peace
group, Gush-Shalom, sued head of the Israeli Air Forces Gen. Dan Halutz
charging him with responsibility for the air strike on Gaza City in
July2002.
During
the strike, which killed 15, including 9 children, Salah Shehada leader
of Ezz El Deen Al Qassam Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic
resistance movement Hamas, was also assassinated.
Uri
Avnery, head of the peace group, said that they have submitted the
complaint on Wednesday, August 21 “against General Halutz, the
squadron leader and the pilot of the plane" which dropped a one-ton
bomb on a residential neighborhood of Gaza City on the night of July
22.”
The
complaint was submitted to Judge Advocate General Menahem Finkelstein,
Attorney General of the Israeli Army.
Prime
Minister Ariel Sharon said it was one of the most successful operations
carried out by the armed forces, while expressing regret for the
civilian deaths.
Avnery
said "we suspect them of having perpetrated a war crime and we
accuse them of having carried out orders that were clearly illegal,
since the operation was bound to create innocent victims."
He
pointed out that Israeli law forbids military staff from carrying out
"illegal orders" issued by their superiors.
Halutz,
for his part, said in an interview in the daily Ha’aretz Tuesday,
August 20, that the raid was completely justified and said Gush Shalom
activists should be tried for "treason."
Gush
Shalom is an extra-parliamentary organization, independent of any party
or other political grouping. Some of its activists do belong to
political parties, but the organization itself is not aligned to any
particular party
