Gaza Briton family demand action

Tom Hurndall died nine months after he was shot

The family of a Briton shot dead by an Israeli soldier in Gaza has demanded the UK government takes action against the man's commanding officers.

An inquest on Monday returned a verdict that Tom Hurndall, 22, from London, was "intentionally killed" in April 2003.

One soldier has been jailed, but Mr Hurndall's family say more Israeli troops should be held responsible.

The Foreign Office said it would talk to the Hurndall family about any issues members still have about the case.

Mr Hurndall, a student and peace campaigner from Tufnell Park, north London, was moving children away from the army in the Palestinian town of Rafah when he was shot.

Three weeks later James Miller, a 34-year-old cameraman from Braunton in Devon, was also shot and killed by the Israeli Defence Force in the same town.

'Wanton killing'

Veteran Labour MP Sir Gerald Kaufman told the BBC there was an element of the Israeli army that was "out of control".

Israeli legal authorities are committed to thoroughly investigating cases of civilian casualties Israeli government statement Killed 'protecting others' Killing was 'intentional'

"It's about time that international action forced the Israeli government to deal with that element of their armed forces which goes around killing people wantonly," he said.

Sir Gerald called on the Israeli authorities to hand the accused soldiers over for trial, either in the UK or international war crimes court.

Failing this, he said, Britain should consider economic sanctions against Israel.

But the Israeli government said in a statement that it was "committed to thoroughly investigating cases of civilian casualties and where a criminal act has been committed bringing those responsible to justice".

James Miller was making a documentary when he was shot

The statement added that in Mr Hurndall's case "a soldier has been convicted of manslaughter and jailed".

A spokesman for the UK Foreign Office said it had welcomed the soldier's conviction and would continue to provide "appropriate consular assistance" to the Hurndall family.

He said he hoped the Israelis accepted the family's claim for compensation, but would not comment on the family's demands that the UK government take action against other Israeli soldiers.

'No action'

A jury at St Pancras Coroner's Court in London ruled on Monday Mr Hurndall had been unlawfully killed, and expressed dismay with the lack of co-operation from the Israeli authorities.

The murder of a civilian by a soldier is regarded as a war crime under the Geneva Convention, and can be tried in British courts regardless of where the death took place.

Taysir Hayb, a Bedouin Arab soldier, was convicted of manslaughter in 2005 over Mr Hurndall's death and jailed for eight years.

A court martial held after Mr Miller's death took no action against any soldier involved in that incident.