PRC-UTE
26th November 2004, 05:36
London Guardian
24 November 2004
Israeli Officer: I Was Right to Shoot 13-Year-Old Child
By Chris McGreal
An Israeli army officer who repeatedly shot a 13-year-old Palestinian
girl in Gaza dismissed a warning from another soldier that she was a
child by saying he would have killed her even if she was three years
old.
The officer, identified by the army only as Captain R, was charged
this week with illegal use of his weapon, conduct unbecoming an
officer and other relatively minor infractions after emptying all 10
bullets from his gun's magazine into Iman al-Hams when she walked into
a "security area" on the edge of Rafah refugee camp last month.
A tape recording of radio exchanges between soldiers involved in the
incident, played on Israeli television, contradicts the army's account
of the events and appears to show that the captain shot the girl in
cold blood.
The official account claimed that Iman was shot as she walked towards
an army post with her schoolbag because soldiers feared she was
carrying a bomb.
But the tape recording of the radio conversation between soldiers at
the scene reveals that, from the beginning, she was identified as a
child and at no point was a bomb spoken about nor was she described as
a threat. Iman was also at least 100 yards from any soldier.
Instead, the tape shows that the soldiers swiftly identified her as a
"girl of about 10" who was "scared to death".
The tape also reveals that the soldiers said Iman was headed
eastwards, away from the army post and back into the refugee camp,
when she was shot.
At that point, Captain R took the unusual decision to leave the post
in pursuit of the girl. He shot her dead and then "confirmed the kill"
by emptying his magazine into her body.
The tape recording is of a three-way conversation between the army
watchtower, the army post's operations room and the captain, who was a
company commander.
The soldier in the watchtower radioed his colleagues after he saw
Iman: "It's a little girl. She's running defensively eastward."
Operations room: "Are we talking about a girl under the age of 10?"
Watchtower: "A girl of about 10, she's behind the embankment, scared
to death."
A few minutes later, Iman is shot in the leg from one of the army
posts.
The watchtower: "I think that one of the positions took her out."
The company commander then moves in as Iman lies wounded and helpless.
Captain R: "I and another soldier...are going in a little nearer,
forward, to confirm the kill...Receive a situation report. We fired
and killed her...I also confirmed the kill. Over."
Witnesses described how the captain shot Iman twice in the head,
walked away, turned back and fired a stream of bullets into her body.
Doctors at Rafah's hospital said she had been shot at least 17 times.
On the tape, the company commander then "clarifies" why he killed
Iman: "This is commander. Anything that's mobile, that moves in the
zone, even if it's a three-year-old, needs to be killed. Over."
The army's original account of the killing said that the soldiers only
identified Iman as a child after she was first shot. But the tape
shows that they were aware just how young the small, slight girl was
before any shots were fired.
The case came to light after soldiers under the command of Captain R
went to an Israeli newspaper to accuse the army of covering up the
circumstances of the killing.
A subsequent investigation by the officer responsible for the Gaza
strip, Major General Dan Harel, concluded that the captain had "not
acted unethically".
However, the military police launched an investigation, which resulted
in charges against the unit commander.
Iman's parents have accused the army of whitewashing the affair by
filing minor charges against Captain R. They want him prosecuted for
murder.
24 November 2004
Israeli Officer: I Was Right to Shoot 13-Year-Old Child
By Chris McGreal
An Israeli army officer who repeatedly shot a 13-year-old Palestinian
girl in Gaza dismissed a warning from another soldier that she was a
child by saying he would have killed her even if she was three years
old.
The officer, identified by the army only as Captain R, was charged
this week with illegal use of his weapon, conduct unbecoming an
officer and other relatively minor infractions after emptying all 10
bullets from his gun's magazine into Iman al-Hams when she walked into
a "security area" on the edge of Rafah refugee camp last month.
A tape recording of radio exchanges between soldiers involved in the
incident, played on Israeli television, contradicts the army's account
of the events and appears to show that the captain shot the girl in
cold blood.
The official account claimed that Iman was shot as she walked towards
an army post with her schoolbag because soldiers feared she was
carrying a bomb.
But the tape recording of the radio conversation between soldiers at
the scene reveals that, from the beginning, she was identified as a
child and at no point was a bomb spoken about nor was she described as
a threat. Iman was also at least 100 yards from any soldier.
Instead, the tape shows that the soldiers swiftly identified her as a
"girl of about 10" who was "scared to death".
The tape also reveals that the soldiers said Iman was headed
eastwards, away from the army post and back into the refugee camp,
when she was shot.
At that point, Captain R took the unusual decision to leave the post
in pursuit of the girl. He shot her dead and then "confirmed the kill"
by emptying his magazine into her body.
The tape recording is of a three-way conversation between the army
watchtower, the army post's operations room and the captain, who was a
company commander.
The soldier in the watchtower radioed his colleagues after he saw
Iman: "It's a little girl. She's running defensively eastward."
Operations room: "Are we talking about a girl under the age of 10?"
Watchtower: "A girl of about 10, she's behind the embankment, scared
to death."
A few minutes later, Iman is shot in the leg from one of the army
posts.
The watchtower: "I think that one of the positions took her out."
The company commander then moves in as Iman lies wounded and helpless.
Captain R: "I and another soldier...are going in a little nearer,
forward, to confirm the kill...Receive a situation report. We fired
and killed her...I also confirmed the kill. Over."
Witnesses described how the captain shot Iman twice in the head,
walked away, turned back and fired a stream of bullets into her body.
Doctors at Rafah's hospital said she had been shot at least 17 times.
On the tape, the company commander then "clarifies" why he killed
Iman: "This is commander. Anything that's mobile, that moves in the
zone, even if it's a three-year-old, needs to be killed. Over."
The army's original account of the killing said that the soldiers only
identified Iman as a child after she was first shot. But the tape
shows that they were aware just how young the small, slight girl was
before any shots were fired.
The case came to light after soldiers under the command of Captain R
went to an Israeli newspaper to accuse the army of covering up the
circumstances of the killing.
A subsequent investigation by the officer responsible for the Gaza
strip, Major General Dan Harel, concluded that the captain had "not
acted unethically".
However, the military police launched an investigation, which resulted
in charges against the unit commander.
Iman's parents have accused the army of whitewashing the affair by
filing minor charges against Captain R. They want him prosecuted for
murder.