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| Middle East |
| Gaza visitors must sign waiver in case army shoots them |
| 2003-05-09 |
| The Israeli military yesterday began obliging foreigners entering the Gaza Strip to sign waivers absolving the army from responsibility if it shoots them. What about bulldozers? Visitors must also declare that they are not peace activists. That'll cut into the number of foreigners coming to Gaza. The move came hours before an autopsy on James Miller — the British cameraman killed in a Gaza refugee camp — confirmed that he was almost certainly killed by an Israeli soldier, despite the army's assertions to the contrary. Yesterday, the British government demanded an Israeli military police criminal investigation into Miller's death and the shooting of another Briton by the army in Gaza, Tom Hurndall, a peace activist. Mr Hurndall is in a coma with severe brain damage after being shot in the head by an Israeli soldier last month as he attempted to protect a small child from gunfire. The Foreign Office minister, Mike O'Brien, called in the Israeli ambassador to London to press the demand, which diplomatic sources portrayed as a ratcheting up of pressure on the Israeli government. "On the basis of the evidence we've seen, we feel this case is so serious that we are asking for a military police investigation," said a Foreign Office spokesperson. The waiver to enter Gaza requires foreigners, including United Nations relief workers, to acknowledge that they are entering a danger zone and will not hold the Israeli army responsible if they are shot or injured. The army document also warns visitors they are forbidden from approaching the security fences next to Jewish settlements or entering "military zones" in Rafah refugee camp close to the Egyptian border where Miller was shot dead on Saturday. What was he doing there? He was the third foreigner killed or severely wounded in the area in recent weeks, besides numerous Palestinian civilians hit by Israeli fire, many of them children. The army invariably claims the victims were caught in crossfire. Palestinians say most of the shooting is indiscriminate and reckless, or worse. Yesterday, Israel's forensic institute issued its autopsy report which backs up the accounts of witnesses who say that Miller was killed by a shot from an Israeli armoured vehicle. A video of the shooting also appears to undermine Israeli army claims that Miller, 34, was caught in crossfire and that soldiers shot in his direction in response to incoming fire from a Palestinian gunman nearby. The film shows three journalists in flak jackets and helmets, clearly marked with the letters TV. They are shouting "Is there anyone there? Is there anyone there? We are British journalists." A single shot is heard and then another followed by the sound of Miller groaning after he was hit. There is no sound of crossfire. Sounds like a Charlie Fox situation. The military also now requires visitors to Gaza to declare that they have no affiliation to the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) which is close to becoming a banned organisation since it was revealed that members met with two British suicide bombers days before the attack on a Tel Aviv bar last week in which three people were murdered. 'bout time to send them home to their mommies. |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #4 But... After they sign the waiver couldn't the Israelis just, y'know...shoot 'em? I'm confused. |
| Posted by: mojo 2003-05-10 00:29:56 |
| #3 ...and please don't feed the bulldozers. |
| Posted by: tu3031 2003-05-09 13:14:09 |
| #2 The Israelis are doing their best to protect their troops but unit discipline is a bit frayed after all this time with the Intifada. Lots of reserves being used, and the fact that everyone in Israel knows more than one person killed makes it very, very difficult to enforce weapons tight rules. And, otoh, Israel has been known to send messages through these sorts of incidents, as has been speculated about the Liberty attack in 1967. |
| Posted by: Chuck 2003-05-09 07:35:14 |
| #1 When someone the lacks the desire or good sense to stay out from between two armed and hostile parties, is signing a waiver really necessary to absolve one of the hostile parties? In my book, foreigner plus Gaza already equaled lack of good sense. Probably already dumb enough to sign this IDF "hunting permit". |
| Posted by: Tom 2003-05-09 06:55:19 |