14 January 2013 / TODAY'S ZAMAN, ANKARA,
A Turkish legal delegation comprising lawyers from the International Lawyers Association traveled to Gaza on Monday to collect evidence on the Israeli offensive on Gaza last November which resulted in the loss of numerous Palestinian lives.
Members of the delegation told the Anatolia news agency that if sufficient and convincing evidence is found, legal procedures will be launched against those who committed the crimes, adding that the delegation would prepare a detailed report on Gaza and submit it to the relevant Turkish authorities.
Necati Ceylan, secretary-general of the International Lawyers Association, is leading the delegation.
The latest surge in the long-running conflict between Israel and Gaza began when the former killed Hamas military mastermind Ahmed al-Jaabari in a precision air strike on his car last November. Israel then began shelling the coastal enclave from land, air and sea on Nov. 14.
The Israeli offensive unleashed 1,500 air strikes on Hamas-linked targets, destroying key symbols of Hamas power, such as the prime minister's office, along with rocket launching sites and Gaza police stations.
A cease-fire was agreed after eight days of conflict which left 162 Palestinians dead, of which more than half were civilians, including 37 children and 11 women.
Turkish leaders have strongly condemned Israel for the series of strikes on the Gaza Strip.
Turkey launched other diplomatic efforts in the international arena in an attempt to reduce the escalation of Gaza tensions. As part of these, Turkish officials visited Egypt and worked in close cooperation with their Egyptian and Qatari counterparts to forge the truce.
Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu joined Arab ministers in a visit to Gaza in a show of solidarity with Palestinians under Israeli attack.
No comments:
Post a Comment