Israel rejects French report on Gaza boy death

Ramallah: Israel said on Sunday that a France 2 television report seen worldwide on the death of a Palestinian child, a symbol for the Palestinian Al Aqsa Uprising (Intifada) in 2000, was “baseless”, following an analysis of raw footage.

A report published by the Israeli government has claimed that Mohammad Al Dura is still alive, thereby absolving Israel of being responsible for the child’s death. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu received the report which presented the findings of a special governmental inquiry committee into Mohammad’s death.

The Israeli report uses the September 2000 France 2 broadcast, in which the boy is seen hiding behind his father while the two are under fire from Israeli soldiers, to conclude that Al Dura was alive at the end of the video.

According to the committee findings, and in contrast to what has been published before, there was no evidence that the boy or his father were injured at the time the video was shot. The committee, therefore, concluded that there was reasonable doubt regarding the role of the Israeli military in the boy’s death.

Upon receiving the committee’s findings, Netanyahu said: “Focusing on this incident is important as it slandered Israel and serves as an example for the de-legitimisation Israel constantly faces.”

“There is only one way to fight lies and that is with the truth,” he said.

Credibility questioned

According to the committee, France 2 had framed the story citing concrete evidence supporting the claim that the boy had died as a result of Israeli military gunfire. The responsibility for Mohammad’s death was still disputed, thus putting into question the credibility of the news report.

The Israeli government had set up the committee in 2012. It was first headed by now Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon and concluded under the chairmanship of Yuval Stneinitz who said: “This was a blood-libel against Israel. The French report was simply false.”

Jamal Al Dura, Mohammad’s father, challenged Israel with an international inquiry committee which can prove that Mohammad died, offering his son’s body for exhumation in case Israel accepts such a committee to investigate the incident.

Jamal and his 12-year-old son Mohammad came under fire on Netzarim Junction. In the incident, the boy was allegedly shot and killed despite his father’s shouts for mercy.

The Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO) said the Israeli report is simply an attempt to fake undisputed facts on the ground. “The government of the Israeli occupation and its military army are fully responsible for the death of Mohammad Al Dura,” said Dr Wasel Abu Yousuf, a member of the PLO Executive Committee, in an interview with Gulf News.

“Israel is trying to escape responsibility and deny its military forces do not commit crimes against Palestinians.”

“It is the Israeli military which shot Mohammad Al Dura dead in a sentimental incident that hit the entire world, and that brutal crime had been documented with the Palestinian leadership,” he said.

“If Israel disputes this fact, let Israel approve an international inquiry committee and then we will address the issue,” he said.