BICOM

Israel’s chief military prosecutor has ordered criminal investigations into five incidents which took place in Gaza during Operation Protective Edge.

The 50-day conflict came to an end just two weeks ago and yesterday’s announcement suggests that Israel’s military is acting swiftly to investigate incidents in which Gazan civilians were killed. Haaretz says that in total 99 investigations are underway, with General Staff member Maj. Gen. Noam Tibon overseeing six investigative panels.

Yesterday, Chief Military Prosecutor Maj. Gen. Dani Efroni recommended criminal probes in five suspected cases of breaching international law. They include the Israel Air Force strike on a Gaza beach on 18 July, which killed four children and the shelling of a United Nations-run school in Beit Hanoun six days later. The other three incidents regard a case of looting, a Palestinian woman who was allegedly shot having first coordinated her movements with the IDF and a teenager who claims to have been held captive for five days.

In addition, Efroni decided that international law had not been breached in seven other cases, while three are still pending. The Financial Times quotes a senior Israeli official who said yesterday, “The IDF is committed to examining all credible allegations of misconduct in a prompt, effective manner and to be as transparent as possible at doing so.” Haaretz quotes the same source commenting, “When there is a reasonable suspicion of a breach of international law, the military police go deeper.”

Last week, the IDF said that Israel had so far verified 2,127 Palestinian deaths during Operation Protective Edge, of which 706 were confirmed as civilians. 67 Israeli soldiers and six Israeli civilians were also killed.

The Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee has already begun its investigation into the defence establishment’s conduct during the Gaza conflict with senior Israeli leaders giving evidence. Meanwhile, the United Nations Human Rights Council recently announced a probe of the conflict through an inquiry headed by Canadian international law expert and forthright critic of Israel, William Schabas.