British Government drops demand for extradition of Israeli killers of journalist James Miller

Israel's £1.8m for family of Briton killed in Gaza
Offer pre-empts civil action over cameraman's death
Next of kin may accept despite reservations
The Guardian, Wednesday April 23 2008

The family of a British cameraman shot dead by Israeli troops in Gaza five years ago said yesterday they may accept a compensation offer of £1.8m despite their grave concerns that the move was a "ruse" to delay a civil action over the shooting.

James Miller was killed while filming a documentary in Rafah, near the border with Egypt. The journalist who accompanied him, Abdurahman Abdallah, said he was shot as he tried to leave a house while holding a white flag.

A British inquiry, based on a video of the incident, said Miller was shot in the neck by an Israeli army patrol. Miller's family is due to begin a civil action in the Israeli courts next month to decide culpability...

"Based on our experience with the Israeli authorities over the past five years and the fact that the action will take place in an Israeli court - albeit a civil one - we do not have a great deal of confidence in a fair or just outcome," it said.

Previous attempts at out-of-court settlements failed because Israel had either "reneged" or "renegotiated to our detriment", the family said.

Israeli officials told the daily paper Ha'aretz that the legal aspects of the case "had been settled" as part of the deal. In return, the British government will end its action to extradite the Israeli soldiers for trial in the UK, according to Ha'aretz.

...At the time of Miller's death, the army suggested he was killed by Palestinians. However, ballistic tests ordered by the family showed he was killed by the army. He was carrying a white flag illuminated by a torch, and other members of the group shouted that they were British journalists.

When Israel investigated the incident in March 2005 it concluded there was insufficient evidence to press criminal charges. The commander of the unit faced disciplinary proceedings but was exonerated.

Full report in Guardian 23 April 2008