US authorities are planning to deal with the case of Omar Assad, an 80-year-old American citizen who was killed by Israeli forces last 12 months, immediately with Israel. This decision comes after the Israeli military opted not to pursue felony expenses in the case, claiming there was no “causal link” between Assad’s stress-induced coronary heart attack and the actions of the soldiers. The US State Department is seeking further info on the investigation from the Israeli authorities.
Omar Assad’s tragic demise took place early last 12 months after he was detained, bound, blindfolded, and gagged by Israeli forces, then left unresponsive at a cold construction web site in the occupied West Bank. Steps maintains that the method in which its soldiers handled Assad was not responsible for his demise.
State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller emphasised Washington’s expectation of “full accountability” within the case and shared concerns about the circumstances of Assad’s demise. Miller said they would be talking “directly” in regards to the problem with Israel.
Last yr, Assad was one of two US citizens killed by Israeli forces; the other being Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh who died after being shot while reporting on a raid in Jenin.
Given that Israeli authorities seldom prosecute abuses perpetrated by their forces towards Palestinians, the Leahy Law has been proposed as a method of holding these responsible accountable. The Leahy Law prohibits US help from being supplied to international forces concerned in extreme human rights violations. Adam Shapiro, director of advocacy for Israel-Palestine at Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN), argued that this law must be utilized to the Netzah Yehuda unit responsible for Assad’s death..