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Comments (0)Israel’s military has ended two investigations into claims stemming from the Goldstone report about incidents during the Gaza war.
The investigations reported as closed Wednesday dealt with two instances in which the report claims that Israeli troops used Palestinian civilians as human shields in Jabaliya during last winter’s Operation Cast Lead.
“There is no doubt that in a military conflict it is absolutely forbidden to use people as human shields, but this was not the case here,” the Israeli army’s chief prosecutor, Brig. Gen. Avihai Mandelblit, wrote in his case report, Haaretz reported.
Mandelblit ordered the case closed after investigators interviewed Gaza residents involved in the alleged incidents.
The cases are among 140 opened by Israel’s Military Police. More than 80 Palestinians have been called to testify in Israel.
Vanunu Requests Removal as Nobel Nominee
Israeli nuclear whistleblower Mordechai Vanunu has asked to be removed as a candidate for a Nobel Peace Prize.
It is the second straight year that Vanunu has asked that his nomination be removed, according to reports.
In a letter to the Oslo-based Norwegian Nobel Institute, Vanunu said he did not want a prize that has been awarded to Israeli President Shimon Peres because he considers Peres the father of Israeli nuclear weapons and does not want to be associated with him.
Vanunu served 18 years in an Israeli prison for discussing details of his work as a technician at the Dimona nuclear plant with the Sunday Times of London. He reportedly revealed Israeli nuclear secrets and gave photographs of the plant’s operation to the British newspaper.
Lebanese Charged with Spying for Israel
Three Lebanese were indicted on charges of spying for Israel.
The indictment, the result of a yearlong investigation and the arrest of at least 27 suspects, was handed down Wednesday. The three are charged with giving Israel information on important civil and military sites and on political officials, Reuters reported.
One of the alleged spies was indicted in absentia. The accused could face the death penalty.
Arrests in the investigation began last April 2009 and included former military officers.