B'Tselem says army probe on Gaza will be a "whitewash"

The Israeli Information Centre for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories, B’Tselem said Thursday that it does not hold out hope that an army investigation into the Gaza hostilities will lead to anything other than a whitewash.

The organisation explained in a statement, in response to the Israeli military advocate general’s (MAG) intention to investigate “exceptional” cases during Operations Protective Edge that, “based on past experience, it isn’t holding out hope that this process will lead to results other than a whitewash”.

B’Tselem announced earlier this week that it will not assist the current military investigation saying “with its current form, the investigation amounts to nothing more than a masquerade”, demanding it be replaced by an independent, transparent and impartial mechanism.

B’Tselem Executive Director, Hagai Elad said, “the announcement demonstrates one of the current system’s main shortcomings: its adamant refusal to investigate senior officials and examine honestly wide ranging policy issues pertaining to Israel’s use of military.

B’Tselem said that the “The current system currently investigating combat-related incidents is characterised by three shortcomings: The investigative apparatus is not structured to investigate top political and military officials responsible for policy and directives. The MAG has a dual role: He gives legal counsel to the military before and during combat, yet is responsible for deciding on indicting those who violated the law. Where unlawful orders were issued following the MAG’s legal counsel, there is an inherent conflict of interests”.

“Military Police Investigation Unit, MPIU investigations focus solely on the soldier in the field. They are opened late, and the operational inquiry conducted before them allows soldiers to compare and alter their accounts of what happened; moreover, investigators often do not have access to the scene of the incident”.