BostontoPalestine
Boston support group for the International Solidarity Movement

Home
About us
News from Palestine

Contact
    Email
    Subscribe
    Donate

Current Campaign
    Freedom Summer
        Ben
        John
        Adam
        Renee
        James
        Joe
        Michael

Past Campaigns
Events
Photos
Videos (ISM)
Rachel Corrie
Links
Speakers
Be a Delegate
Press
faq
Actions!

JERUSALEM POST

Dec. 31, 2003
Soldier in custody, suspected of shooting British ISMer
By MARGOT DUDKEVITCH

The remand of the soldier suspected of critically injuring
British citizen Tom Hurndall in Rafiah on April 11th this year
has been extended by the southern command's military
court.

The soldier first claimed he had shot at an armed person,
but then said he shot "in proximity to an unarmed civilian in
order to deter him". Hurndall was in Gaza with the
Palestinian activist organization the International Solidarity
Movement.

Mr Hurndall has been pronounced clinically dead and
currently lies in a vegetative state at a London hospital.

The criminal investigation is continuing and its findings will
be handed over to the military prosecutor in order to prepare
an indictment.

IDF officials said that they have informed British diplomats of
developments in the investigation. The IDF Spokesman said
that the incident is extremely grave and the entire affair will
continue to be thoroughly investigated.

Hurndall's mother Jocelyn told Sky News: "I remain sceptical
as to the outcome of the military police inquiry. But I'm
hopeful this is the first step towards the truth."

ISM members who witnessed the incident accused soldiers
of deliberately shooting to kill. Hurndall, together with other
ISM members and locals, planned to set up a peace tent on
one of the nearby roads to prevent IDF tank patrols from
using it. It was then they reported that soldiers deployed in a
nearby IDF watchtower and tank position began shooting
towards the group.

IDF officials said that a short time before Hurndall was hit,
shots had been fired towards the IDF positions. However,
speaking with the Jerusalem Post shortly after Hurndall was
hit, ISM member Allison Phillips said "a group of about thirty
children stood on a rubble barrier in front of a house. Gunfire
was directed at the wall fairly high over their heads, causing
the group to split and scatter," Phillips said. "Tom, wearing
an orange fluorescent jacket, went to help three young
children who were caught, placing himself in the line of fire in
order to get them out. He pulled a little boy out and was
coaxing two young girls to leave when he was shot," she
said. "We are convinced it was deliberate as the shooting
was aimed towards the height of his head. It was a
deliberate shoot to kill," she said.