Eight years for Israeli soldier who shot British student

An Israeli soldier who shot dead a British activist acting as a human shield in the Gaza Strip was jailed for eight years today.

The family of the 22-year-old student Tom Hurndall had fought a long campaign for justice following the fatal shooting during an army operation in April 2003.

Ex-sergeant Taysir Hayb was sentenced to eight years in prison after being convicted at an Israeli military court of manslaughter.

The victim's mother, Jocelyn Hurndall, reacted to the sentence.

“The Israeli defence force has a very long way to go in improving their credibility to the world. Eight years is really very little if one takes international law into account,” she told the ITV News Channel.

“I am quite surprised by the leniency of this sentence.

“From the very beginning we have experienced a lack of willingness to get to the truth, which has been deeply shocking. Undoubtedly this sentence brings a level of closure from a legal point, but from a personal point of view I am not sure I believe in the concept of closure, I am sure this will go on forever.

“We are considering a civil claim. But to view the future more positively, we are together with the National Union of Teachers, looking at an inclusion education project, which would begin in Gaza city.

“I hope to be participating in that very closely. We want something in memory of Tom, something very positive, and we hope this education inclusion programme will play an important part.”

Mr Hurndall’s sister, Sophie, said she felt relief after two years of “incredible emotion”.

But she told BBC News 24 that the family would only feel a real sense of closure if Israeli authorities changed the “completely inadequate system” of investigating into such incidents.

She said the true circumstances surrounding her brother’s death only came to light after a massive campaign by the family.

“It is a sad time but also a sense of relief. It has been a very painful two years,” she said.

Mr Hurndall was hit in the head by a rifle bullet while trying to shield young children during demonstrations in the Palestinian town of Rafah. He was left in a coma and died nine months later.

The Israeli army initially denied he had been shot by a soldier from an army watchtower.

Following pressure from the Hurndall family and the British Government, an official inquiry was launched.

Hayb was convicted in June of manslaughter in a military court. He was also found guilty of obstruction of justice, incitement to false testimony, false testimony and improper conduct.

The court had heard how Hayb fired at Mr Hurndall from an Israeli army watchtower, using a sniper rifle with a telescopic sight.

Witnesses said Mr Hurndall, from north London, had been operating as a human shield to escort children away from gunfire when he was hit in the head.

Mr Hurndall, a Manchester Metropolitan University journalism and photography student, was in the Gaza Strip with the International Solidarity Movement.