Hawks investigates an SA serving in an IDF sniper unit

According to News24A Palestinian journalist identified a 22-year-old man from Sandton as a member of a unit operating in Gaza.

The National Committee for the Control of Conventional Arms said it had given its information to Hawks for investigation.

Hawks spokeswoman Thandi Mbambo confirmed an investigation into the matter was ongoing.

“The investigation is ongoing and being conducted in accordance with the Rome Statute of the International Crimes Tribunal and possibly in violation of the Foreign Military Assistance Regulation Act. Investigators are still collecting evidence.

“It is also important to note that corroborating evidence from foreign jurisdictions is needed. “Additionally, DPCI does not have the habit of naming persons of interest or suspects in our investigations.”

Two weeks ago, News24 reported that Palestinian investigative journalist Younis Tirawi identified the man as a member of an elite sniper unit known as Refaim (Hebrew for Spirit), whose members uploaded videos of themselves shooting unarmed men of military age in Gaza.

The man allegedly appears in the documentary Ghost Unit Tirawi.

Last week, AFP reported that the Belgian government had opened an investigation into possible war crimes committed by one of its citizens, who was identified in the same document as a member of the same 21-man unit. The unit also includes three Americans, two French, a German and an Italian.

The Foreign Military Assistance Regulation Act requires any South African citizen who wishes to provide foreign military assistance in another country to first approach the National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC) for consideration by the Minister of Defense.

News24 quoted South African National Defense Force spokesman Siphiwe Dlamini as saying the force was aware of the man’s presence in Israel.

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