Iman Darweesh Al Hams

Who was Iman Darweesh Al Hams?

Iman Darweesh Al Hams was a 13-year-old Palestinian girl killed by Israel Defense Forces fire near a military observation post in a "no-man's" zone near the Philadelphi Route on 5 October 2004, in Rafah in the Gaza Strip.

The IDF commander of the soldiers who shot her was accused by his comrades and Palestinian witnesses of using automatic fire to deliberately shoot her repeatedly, a subject which was brought into investigation. During trial, he expressed no regret over his actions and said he would have done the same even if the girl was a 3-year-old. Human rights groups cite her death as one of several incidents which illustrate a "culture of impunity" in the IDF. Some key witnesses later recanted their testimony. The commander was charged with illegal use of his weapon, conduct unbecoming an officer and perverting the course of justice by an Israeli military court but was found not guilty. Later a Jerusalem district court found the claim that he had shot her multiple times to verify her death to be libelous and required the journalist and television company who had circulated the report to air a correction.