Netherlands: Court considers civil lawsuit request against Netanyahu's challenger Gantz

M/S Judges entering court room at The Hague District Court, The Hague
M/S Presiding judge
M/S Courtroom
M/S Plaintiff Ismail Ziada and lawyers
SOT, Ismail Ziada, Plaintiff: "It is painful that those representing the defendants are going to deny me access to justice yet again, knowing a thing or two about the Israeli legal system and the way it works against Palestinians, I find argumentations brought forward farcical as well as vicious."
M/S Presiding judge
M/S Judges
SOT, Ismail Ziada, Plaintiff: "I have faith that this court is able to recognise [that] the concept of law is abused here, as nothing but a fig leaf to cover up what is in fact a system of occupation, oppression and denial of rights."
M/S Judge *CUTAWAY*
SOT, Ismail Ziada, Plaintiff: "2014 was not the first time I was impacted by Israeli army actions. I was shot with live ammunition in the leg. I was shot at a very close range with a rubber coated metal bullet in the head. I witnessed another boy being shot in the head next to me, dying on the spot."
M/S Ziada
M/S Court hearing
M/S Benny Gantz's lawyer Thom Dieben addressing judges
SOT, Thom Dieben, Benny Gantz's lawyer (Dutch): "The objective of operation 'Protective Edge' was to protect the people of Israel and end, at that time, the rocket attacks [that were coming] from the Gaza Strip in the direction of Israel."
C/U Notes
C/U Attire
SOT, Thom Dieben, Benny Gantz's lawyer (Dutch): "The Israeli officials acted in the name of the State of Israel in the context of their official functions connected with the attacks. These immunities were explicitly invoked by the State of Israel in the diplomatic note of October 18."
M/S Lawyers, legal officials
W/S Judges leave the courtroom
M/S End of session
M/S Ismail Ziada's lawyers
W/S Main entrance of the Justice Palace, District Court of The Hague
W/S Justice Palace building
SCRIPT
Gaza-born Ismail Ziada, who lost six relatives in a 2014 Israeli attack on the Gaza Strip, is seeking compensation from former chief of staff of Israeli military and now main opponent of the President Benjamin Netanyahu in the general elections, Benny Gantz, in The Hague, on Tuesday.
"I was shot at a very close range with a rubber coated metal bullet in the head. I witnessed another boy being shot in the head next to me, dying on the spot," said Ziada about his encounters with Israeli army.
Benny Gantz's lawyer Thom Dieben argued that the 2014 "Operation Protective Edge" was to protect Israeli people from "the rocket attacks [that were coming] from the Gaza Strip in the direction of Israel."
For the death of his mother, three brothers, sister-in-law and 12-year old nephew Ziada is allegedly seeking €536,600 ($592,200) compensation.