(Haifa, Israel – March 15, 2010)– In the third day of testimony in the civil lawsuit filed by Rachel Corrie’s family against the State of Israel for her unlawful killing in Rafah, Gaza, the Haifa District Court heard testimony from British citizen Alice Coy, a nurse, and an eyewitness to the killing.
The State spent most of the day trying to establish that contrary to all eyewitness accounts and human rights reports, the Israeli Military had no intention of demolishing homes in the area on the day Rachel was killed.
Ms. Coy testified that:
- She first came to Israel in order to visit Israeli relatives.
- When the Israeli Military interviewed her about Rachel’s killing on April 1, 2003, the soldier who documented her testimony refused to record a statement that she believed the bulldozers were going to destroy civilian homes.
- On the day Rachel was killed, she believed the Israeli Military were planning to demolish homes because they had begun demolishing a house that day by damaging its porch, and, in the days and weeks prior, the military had been demolishing homes along the Philadelphi Corridor.
- She had spoken with many Palestinian families whose homes had been demolished by the Israeli Military in the area where Rachel Corrie was killed .
- She believed the bulldozer driver who killed Rachel could see her.
- She described her view of her work with ISM as promoting peace for the whole region.
