Dutch court upholds Gantz immunity in Israeli airstrike case

By MIKE CORDER
Associated Press

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — A Dutch appeals court has upheld a lower court’s decision to throw out a civil case against Israel’s defense minister and another former senior military officer over their roles in a deadly 2014 airstrike. The Hague District Court ruled in January 2020 that the case against Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz and former air force commander Amir Eshel couldn’t proceed because the men have “functional immunity from jurisdiction.” The Hague court of appeal said Tuesday that the lower court was right to rule that Gantz and Eshel had immunity because they were carrying out Israeli government policies. The case was brought by Ismail Ziada. He lost six members of his family in the airstrike during the 2014 Gaza conflict.