A Spanish judge says he will move forward with a probe of top Israelimilitary commanders linked to a 2002 Israeli bombing that killed 15people in the Gaza Strip.
National Court Judge Fernando Andreuannounced his decision Monday, after rejecting assertions fromprosecutors that the bombing was already under investigation inIsrael. The judge said he could find no evidence of an Israeli probe.
Palestinianmilitant Salah Shehade, who headed the military wing of Hamas, died inthe bombing along with 14 civilians, nine of them children in thePalestinian territory.
Spain assumes universal jurisdiction over such allegations of criminal activity, and it began its investigation in January.
Meanwhile,new Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has begun a four-nationtour of Europe aimed at easing European concerns about Israeli policytoward the Palestinians.
Lieberman, head of a far-right party, is spending two days in Italy, before visiting France, Germany and the Czech Republic.
Separately,United Nations investigators in Geneva are preparing for a fact-findingmission into Israel's three-week military sweep into Gaza that ended inJanuary.
At least 1,300 Palestinians, including 300 children,were killed in the offensive, launched by Israel to stop Hamas rocketfire into border areas of southern Israel.
Israel had rejectedtwo earlier U.N. probes, including a Gaza investigation that was tohave been led by South African Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu.