The terrorist attack on 7 October led to the largest mobilization of reservists in Israel’s history. More than 300,000 doctors, teachers, shop workers and other civilians have taken up arms. news has received confirmation from several sources that Norwegians with both Norwegian and Israeli citizenship have been called up by the Israeli Defense Forces, and that today there are more Norwegians fighting for Israel. At least one of them is participating in Israel’s ground operations inside Gaza, and is now inside the Palestinian enclave. The IDF will neither confirm nor deny this to news. – Completely new situation The Palestine Committee’s leader Line Khateeb thinks it is worrying that the Norwegian authorities do not have an overview of who travels down to Israel to take part in Israel’s acts of war. – We know from the war in 2009 and 2014 that the Israeli defense forces committed war crimes and that Norwegians contributed to the war effort here. – The lack of overview and follow-up means that it is not possible to document whether Norwegians participated in these war crimes, says Khateeb. – I hope Kripos follows up on those who have served in the IDF, says Khateeb. Photo: Håkon Mosvold Larsen / NTB She believes the situation is particularly serious this time as there are up to 250 Norwegians in Gaza today, where half of them are children. – We are facing a situation where Norwegian-Israelis who are involved in the attack on Gaza can commit war crimes against Norwegian-Palestinians. – It is a completely new situation. Now the head of the Palestine Committee says that the Norwegian authorities must obtain an overview of what Norwegians have done in their service to the IDF, so that this time possible war crimes can be investigated. – I hope Kripos follows up on them, says Khateeb. It is not illegal to fight for other states Tone Lill Solstad, head of the section for international crimes at Kripos, tells news that today they do not keep track of who travels to Israel to fight for the country. She also says that today it is not illegal for Norwegian citizens to fight on behalf of other states, whether for Israel or Ukraine. – We do not have a mandate to obtain such an overview. We must receive concrete information and evaluate it concretely against the conflict it is said to have committed in. – Don’t you think it is problematic that Norwegians fight on behalf of other states, for example Israel? Tone Lill Solstad, head of the section for international crimes at Kripos, says that Kripos is interested in talking to people from both sides of the conflict, who may have witnessed war crimes. Photo: Kripos – I don’t think I should go into whether it is problematic, but you can put yourself in a situation where you commit war crimes. It opens the door to criminal prosecution either in Norway or other countries, she says. Solstad also says that Kripos is interested in talking to people from both sides of the conflict, who may have witnessed war crimes. – When Norwegians from Gaza return to Norway, Kripos will be interested in information from people who are victims of or witnesses to war crimes. This determines whether it is a war crime Attorney General Sigrid Redse Johansen explains that a war crime is a gross violation of the rules of protection and warfare that apply in armed conflict. The Office of the Attorney General is led by Attorney General Sigrid Redse Johansen. Photo: The Attorney General’s Office In Norway, the statutes of the International Criminal Court have been incorporated into Norwegian criminal law. – It is impunity to travel to another state to participate for them, as long as you follow the rules of warfare, of course, says Attorney General Sigrid Redse Johansen. A distinction is made between who is protected and who is not. – It does not depend on nationality, civilians are civilians. This means that it can be a war crime if it is an attack that targets civilians, or if there is excessive harm to the civilian population. Basically, it will not change the nature of the war crime what nationality they have, says the attorney general. – Both Hamas and Israel have committed war crimes The head of the Palestine Committee believes that prosecuting Norwegian-Israelis for possible war crimes will prove difficult for the Norwegian authorities. Israeli soldiers walk on kibbutz Kfar Aza, one of the kibbutzim attacked by Hamas, earlier this month. Photo: FADEL SENNA / AFP – The IDF does not share with other countries where its soldiers have served. This means that the Norwegian authorities have to rely on information from the soldiers themselves. – Hamas mingles among civilians and makes it more difficult for Israeli forces to distinguish between them and ordinary people. Surely that is also a war crime? – Both Hamas and Israel have committed war crimes. They must both be held accountable and investigated by independent commissions. – This is absolutely necessary for both Palestinians and Israelis to be able to live in peace and security, says Khateeb.
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Fears that Norwegians in Gaza may be killed by Norwegians in Israeli service – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
