Israel as a Rogue State 305

Defence for Children International bericht:

2010/12/27 'Operation Cast Lead' - Two years on

[27 December 2010] – Today marks the second anniversary since the start of Israel’s military offensive in the Gaza Strip. Between 27 December 2008 and 18 January 2009, over 1,400 Palestinians were killed, including 352 children. In the two years since the end of ‘Operation Cast Lead,’ the Israeli authorities have opened approximately 48 criminal investigations of which only four have led to indictments (Human Rights Watch). Out of the four indictments, one soldier was convicted for stealing a credit card and two soldiers were convicted of using a child as a human shield. It has recently been reported that another soldier has now been charged with killing a woman holding a white flag (Haaretz). So far, only the soldier convicted of stealing a credit card has served time in prison. The two soldiers convicted of using a nine-year-old boy as a human shield by making him search for explosives at gunpoint, each received three-month suspended sentences and a demotion in rank. On 21 September 2010, the UN Committee of Independent Experts released its report into whether the investigations carried out by all parties to the conflict met the relevant international standards. The report found that, on balance, the investigations did not meet international standards. There is no indication that any investigations were ever opened into those who designed, planned, ordered or oversaw the operation. To mark the second anniversary DCI-Palestine is releasing the stories of all 352 children killed during the war. These simple but compelling stories bear witness to those events. Photo: Lina Hasan - born 1 September 1999, killed 6 January 2009.