Verdict announced in Tom Hurndall case

by: Amber Nolan

Israel/Palestine: On 27 June 2005 Sergeant Idier Wahid Taysir of the Israeli Defence Force was convicted of manslaughter for the killing of peace activist and amateur photojournalist death Tom Hurndall. Taysir was convicted on six charges, and will be sentenced at a hearing on 5 July.

Originally from London, 21-year-old Hurndall was working on a documentary in Gaza at the time of the shooting in April 2003. The documentary recorded the lives of those who live each day in conflict. Witnesses say he was trying to get children out of the way of danger when he was shot in the head by the IDF soldier. Hurndall suffered irreversible brain damage, and remained in a vegetative state until his death nine months later.

During the trial it transpired that, using a telescopic lens, Taysir fired what he claimed was a warning shot - aimed ten centimetres from Hurndall’s left ear - after he and other members of the International Solidarity Movement were getting too close to the “prohibited area.” During his interrogation, Taysir said, “He (Hurndall) was insolent and did not give us respect.”

Lethal force

Raphael Cohen a member of the International Solidarity Movement (London), who was with Tom on the day of the shooting, said, "On the very street where Tom was shot, two children had been shot just days before. This is why he and the rest of the group went to that spot, to protest against the shooting of children as they played outside their homes. There has never been any investigation into the shootings of those children."

The killing of minors by Israeli security forces is a regular occurrence in the occupied territories: in May two Palestinian teenagers were shot dead by Israeli soldiers in the village of Biet Liqya near Ramallah while playing football. Between September 2000 and June 2005, more than 3,000 Palestinians had been killed by Israeli security forces, including almost 650 children. (Source: B’Tselem)

The investigation of Tom’s death was the result of his family and friends putting pressure on the Israeli government for some answers, but for the many Palestinians who have suffered the same fate, there will be no justice. According to Human Rights Watch, "The number of official investigations into alleged wrongful use of lethal force equals just two percent of the total number killed and only 15 percent of the number of children killed. Despite the fact that many deaths occurred in non-combat circumstances and the extreme unlikelihood that many of the children killed were legitimate targets."

Struggle against wall continues

Although the dangers remain high, Palestinians, Israelis, and international activists, continue to take to the streets to protest at Israeli government policies and in support of vulnerable Palestinians. On 21 June the International Women’s Peace Service Palestine reported that more than 100 Palestinians from the village of Marda confronted soldiers to protest against the construction of the wall on their land. Local people from spoke at a meeting after the demonstration and gave their support for Marda and were supported by internationals and Israelis. After the demonstration three Israelis were reported to have been arrested.

More information:
http://www.iwps.info/en/index.php

http://www.btselem.org/index.asp

http://electronicintifada.net/v2/article3949.shtml

http://www.tomhurndall.co.uk