Egyptians offer to represent Beit Hanun victims at The Hague

Last update - 07:14 06/12/2006

By Lily Galili, Haaretz Correspondent

Representatives of the Egyptian Bar Association have offered to represent the victims of the Israeli artillery barrage in Beit Hanun at the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

On Sunday, representatives of the Egyptian Bar Association contacted Beit Hanun's mayor, Muhammad al-Kafarne, and offered their services.

The mayor has asked the families of the victims to authorize a transfer of power of attorney, so the Egyptian lawyers can proceed with bringing the case before the International Court.

Ghasen Qassem, a relative of the mayor, who lost his elder brother in the November 8 artillery attack on the Gaza town, has delayed the power of attorney authorization because of efforts underway to receive compensation from Israel for the deaths.

Two weeks ago, the families of the victims sought the assistance of attorney Ehud Segev, asking him to represent them in a suit against the State of Israel and in their demand for compensation for the deaths of their loved ones.

The family members argue that once Israel admitted that the incident was a mistake, and even recognized the unusual nature of the incident, it became obliged to grant the families financial compensation.

Meanwhile, a special committee at the Defense Ministry began an initial evaluation of the families' request.

Since the artillery attack that killed 19 Palestinian civilians in their homes, the issue has remained at the center of attention of various rights organizations.