Two Israeli soldiers have been handed a “suspended sentence” after a Maltese pro-Palestinian activist was shot last April, Foreign Minister Tonio Borg was told after a visit to Gaza and Israel.
Bianca Zammit, 28, was shot in the leg by Israeli soldiers who opened fire as she joined Palestinians protesting against the imposition of a 300-metre security zone along Gaza’s border with Israel.
Dr Borg told The Sunday Times yesterday that Israeli foreign ministry officials informed him verbally that two Israeli soldiers were found guilty of breaching their superiors’ orders, though no further details were given.
“Judging by the footage we saw, and the information we have, we still maintain that the action taken by the Israelis that day was disproportionate, especially since the protesters were unarmed. The Israeli foreign office argued that the protesters had breached the line and the soldiers were being provoked.”
Asked whether he was satisfied with the action taken following the attack on a Maltese national, Dr Borg said: “At least now we know that some steps have been taken”.
Ms Zammit’s shooting sparked off a diplomatic incident, with the government calling for an inquiry, while the Israeli Ambassador to Malta, Gideon Meir, claimed the Maltese activist was being used by Hamas.
Dr Borg visited the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip on Friday, the first by a Maltese minister, though he did not hold talks with any of the Islamic movement’s officials.
He held several meetings with people from different sectors of society, from fishermen to students, and pledged to do his utmost to help improve the conditions of the Gazans.
“We need to open doors to Gaza. The humanitarian situation is still very bad, they are lacking basic needs, 90 per cent of their water is contaminated, schools are destroyed, but they are very resilient. Everyone I spoke to lamented that construction material was only trickling into Gaza,” he said.
Dr Borg called for a total lifting of the Gaza blockade and pledged to increase Malta’s aid to the UN agency in charge of refugees.
Asked whether his visit to Gaza would fuel Israeli claims that Malta is a vociferous pro-Palestinian supporter, Dr Borg said: “I made it very clear that we have nothing against Israel and we believe Israel’s guaranteed security is essential in the final target of a two-state solution. But we cannot agree with the settlements and we cannot agree with the state the Gazans are in.”