Palestinian sues former Israeli commander Gantz for war crimes
A building damaged during the 2014 Gaza War
Loes Witschge reports in AlJazeera:
As Israelis voted in a snap general election, a Dutch court held a hearing on a war crimes case against the ex-general challenging incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Hague District Court weighed on Tuesday if it should hear a lawsuit brought by a Dutch-Palestinian man seeking damages from Benny Gantz and a co-defendant for their role in the killing of six of his relatives during the 2014 Gaza War.
On July 20, 2014, Ismail Ziada lost his mother, three brothers, a sister-in-law, and a 12-year-old nephew when their family home was bombed by the Israeli air force as part of Operation Protective Edge. A visitor was also killed in the air raid.
Ziada, who was born in Gaza and lives in the Netherlands, filed a civil lawsuit in 2018 seeking compensation from Gantz, the chief of staff of Israel’s military at the time of the bombing, and then air force commander Amir Eshel.
Ziada alleged the attack violated international humanitarian law because it deliberately targeted civilians, was disproportionate and happened without prior warning.