On 24 June 2008, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) filed a lawsuit at the National Court of Spain, the highest Spanish judicial council, against seven former senior Israeli military officials. These include former Defence Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer, his former military advisor, Michael Herzog, former Israeli Army Chief of Staff Moshe Yaâalon and Dan Halutz, former Commander of the Israeli Air Force.
All of them were involved in the planning and execution of the âtargeted assassinationâ of Salah Shehada, commander of the armed wing of Hamas, in Gaza city in July 2002. The Occupation dropped a 500 kg bomb on his house killing him and seventeen others, including his wife, his daughter, his guard, eight children (including a 2-month infant), two elderly men, and two women. In addition, seventy-seven other people were injured, eleven houses were completely destroyed and thirty-two houses damaged.
This lawsuit the Spanish National Court is now examining has been made possible by the cooperation of PCHR, a series of experienced and well known human rights lawyers and Palestinian and Spanish solidarity organizations (including the Arab Cause Solidarity Committee and the Al-Quds Association for Solidarity with People in Arab Countries).
As an immediate response, the Occupation has ordered all the military officers implicated in the case not to enter Spain to avoid arrest and prosecution.
This case is a step towards holding those responsible for war crimes accountable. It is as well yet another indication of the disastrous political and criminal implications of engaging in the arms trade with Israel.
For the full press release of PCHR click here.
For the press release by Arab Cause Solidarity Committee in Spanish, click here.