- JERUSALEM -- Parliamentarians
demand an investigation into the 'lunatic' behaviour of defence forces
at Rafah refugee camp, where two British protesters were shot dead last
year.
-
- A group of British parliamentarians have demanded an
investigation into the "lunatic" behaviour of Israeli soldiers
after they were shot at during a tour of Gaza's Rafah refugee camp, the
site of two fatal shootings of British citizens since April last year.
-
- Huw Irranca-Davies, a member of Labour Friends of Israel,
Crispin Blunt, the Conservative MP for Reigate, and Lady Northover, the
Liberal Democrat international development spokeswoman, faced machine gunfire
from an army observation post as they walked in an area that has been cleared
of buildings by Israeli bulldozers.
-
- The parliamentarians had been standing close to the spot
where Tom Hurndall, a British peace activist, was shot and fatally wounded
in April last year. They had arrived in clearly marked United Nations vehicles.
They were accompanied by UN officials and surrounded by about 20 children
aged three to 15.
-
- One bullet slammed into a wall 10ft above Lady Northover's
head, showering her with plaster. Mr Blunt, a former soldier, was furious.
"Why should we be driven away from seeing the results of outrageous
behaviour of the Israeli army in destroying these homes? If they are prepared
to do this to people who come out of two clearly marked UN cars, what do
they do when there is no one there?
-
- "It seems that the Israeli Defence Force follows
a policy of shooting first, asking afterwards. This just borders on the
lunatic. They are building up levels of hatred that will take decades,
if not centuries, to erase."
-
- Mr Blunt said: "There was a short burst of automatic
fire, about four or five rounds. They weren't aimed shots. My assumption
is that they were fired into the air to suggest that we weren't wanted.
Our UN escort identified where the rounds had come from and suggested we
leave.
-
- "As Lady Northover and a photographer got close
to the cars, a bullet struck the building 10ft above their heads and the
plaster dropped at their feet. I think this was an aimed shot designed
to miss but speed us on our way.
-
- "I was in a T-shirt and slacks. The observation
post could have had no doubt that there was absolutely no threat from this
group of people."
-
- The politicians planned to raise the issue with Simon
Macdonald, the British ambassador to Israel, and will demand an explanation
from the Israeli ambassador in London on their return today. Mr Irranca-Davies,
the Labour MP for Ogmore, said: "It was entirely indefensible. We
weren't walking out into the open zones. We were walking between buildings
and we were there with a group of children."
-
- The incident is the latest involving soldiers in Rafah.
Apart from Mr Hurndall, a British filmmaker, James Miller, was also shot
dead by Israeli soldiers there last year. Many Palestinians have also been
killed or injured.
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- © Copyright of Telegraph Group Limited 2004. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/0
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