ISTANBUL: A Turkish state prosecutor has launched an investigation into allegations that Israel’s offensive in Gaza amounted to genocide and crimes against humanity, a human rights group said yesterday.
The investigation began after human rights organization Mazlum-Der submitted a complaint over Israel’s 22-day military offensive in the Gaza Strip to punish the Hamas group for cross-border rocket attacks. The complaint named 19 people including Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, President Shimon Peres, as well as Israel’s Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni and Defense Minister Ehud Barak.
The investigation was opened by an Ankara prosecutor, the group said. No one from the prosecutor’s office was available to comment.
“We submitted the complaint against those who we could prove were in some way responsible for giving orders for the attack on Gaza,” Meryem Sari, an attorney, said. “The complaint asks that Turkey be given the right to try the people mentioned,” said Sari.
Meanwhile, a major United Nations aid agency said it suspended importing goods into the Gaza Strip yesterday because Hamas fighters had seized supplies for the second time this week. Hamas denied it confiscated any supplies, saying it was a misunderstanding between drivers due to a lack of coordination.
Christopher Gunness, spokesman for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, said Hamas forces had seized 10 trucks loaded with humanitarian supplies yesterday.
Ahmed Al-Kurd, welfare minister in Gaza’s Hamas government, said the supplies were taken by mistake. “It was a misunderstanding between drivers,” Kurd said. “We have told UNRWA they can come ... and take the goods. For some reason, they did not come.”
