Rachel Corrie St. in Ramallah. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

A Haifa court on Tuesday rejected accusations that Israel was to blame for the death of American activist Rachel Corrie, who was crushed by an army bulldozer during a pro-Palestinian demonstration in Gaza in 2003 during the Second Intifada, Israel Hayom reported.

Rachel Corrie’s family launched a civil case against Israel following a military investigation that cleared the army of wrongdoing.

Judge Oded Gershon said the incident was a “regrettable accident” but absolved the army of wrongdoing because it was during a time of war. The army was conducting an operation to clear homes that terrorists were using as cover. Witnesses say that Corrie was standing on a mound of earth when it gave out. The bulldozer driver claims he could not see or hear Corrie.

Gershon said soldiers had done their utmost to keep people away from the site on the day of the protest. “She [Corrie] did not distance herself from the area, as any thinking person would have done,” he said.

The Corrie family’s lawyer, Hussein Abu Hussein, said the court verdict contradicted “the fundamental principles of international law with regard to protection of human rights defenders.”