Dutch Supreme Court Grants Immunity to Israeli Military in Netherlands

The Dutch supreme court has ruled that two former Israeli military commanders, including ex-defense minister Benny Gantz, are immune from civil prosecution in the Netherlands over the deaths of six Palestinians in an Israeli airstrike. The court upheld a previous appeals court finding that Gantz and ex-air force commander Amir Eshel, as high-ranking officials carrying out government policy, cannot be held liable in a Dutch civil case. The plaintiff, Ismail Ziada, a Dutch national of Palestinian origin, sought damages against Gantz under Dutch universal jurisdiction rules. Human rights groups have accused both sides of war crimes during the 2014 Gaza conflict, in which approximately 2,200 Palestinians and 73 Israelis were killed.