Israel Closes 2014 War Crimes Probe Without Criminal Charges – Reports

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) on Wednesday closed a war crimes investigation into the 2014 Gaza War incident dubbed "Black Friday" without pressing criminal charges, The Jerusalem Post reported.

During Black Friday on August 1, 2014, some 70 Palestinian civilians were killed as a result of the IDF sharply intensifying attacks after the Palestinian Hamas movement broke ceasefire by killing two Israeli servicemen and kidnapping another one. The Israeli response was believed by many to be disproportionate.

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The IDF legal division found that the operation consisted of two parts, none of which separately violated the rules of war, according to the outlet.

The Israeli investigators explained that at most 10 civilians were killed when the IDF was trying to catch kidnappers of the soldier.

Other 60 people who could have been civilians or Hamas operatives, according to the IDF, were killed in other numerous clashes rather relating to the end of the ceasefire than to the incident with the Hamas initial attack itself.

In 2014, the latest large-scale Israeli military operation took place in the Gaza Strip, when over 2,200 Palestinians and 73 Israelis were killed.