Team to gather Gaza evidence to safeguard Israeli officers from lawsuits

Jerusalem, Jan.14 (ANI): Israel's Defense Minister Ehud Barak has ordered his country's defence forces to set up a team of intelligence and legal experts to collect evidence related to Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) operations in the Gaza Strip, that could be used to defend military commanders against future lawsuits.

Called an "Incrimination Team," the group of experts, according to the Jerusalem Post, has already received all of the footage filmed by IDF Combat Camera teams deployed inside the Gaza Strip, to review and decipher.

All footage taken by Combat Camera soldiers is first given to brigade intelligence officers who study it for intelligence information.

The decision to set up the team was made as part of IDF preparations for a wave of international lawsuits related to Operation Cast Lead, which Attorney-General Menahem Mazuz warned on Sunday would be filed against soldiers following the operation.

"We need to be prepared for the potential lawsuits that will be filed against senior officers," a defense official explained.

"The team will review the footage and intelligence information and formulate arguments that can be used to defend against claims that Israel committed war crimes in Gaza," the paper quoted the officer, as saying further.

The unit is part of the IDF Spokesman's Unit and is headed by Major Zvika Golan.

The US Army works with a similar model and has a soldier in every infantry platoon armed with a camcorder alongside his machine gun. (ANI)