JERUSALEM (JTA) — Israel’s military has ended two investigations into claims stemming from the Goldstone report about incidents during the Gaza war.
The investigations reported as closed Wednesday dealt with two instances in which the report claims that Israeli troops used Palestinian civilians as human shields in Jabaliya during last winter’s Operation Cast Lead.
“There is no doubt that in a military conflict it is absolutely forbidden to use people as human shields, but this was not the case here,” the Israeli army’s chief prosecutor, Brig. Gen. Avihai Mandelblit, wrote in his case report, Haaretz reported.
Mandelblit ordered the case closed after investigators interviewed Gaza residents involved in the alleged incidents.
The cases are among 140 opened by Israel’s Military Police. More than 80 Palestinians have been called to testify in Israel.
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