London: The richest Palestinian in the world, who was shot by British troops when he was a child, has begun an effort to obtain compensation for alleged crimes committed during colonial rule.
In the early part of this year, Munib Al-Masri, 88, who was shot by British troops in 1944, penned a 300-page report on the alleged wrongdoings and crimes committed by colonial forces in Palestine between 1917 and 1948.
The soldier shot me in the leg as I was marching, and the wound is still bothering my leg, Al-Masri told The Times. It is a miracle that I'm still alive to file this lawsuit considering that I've (barely) survived death seven times, he continued.
Also Read: Greek Orthodox Archbishop Chrysostomos II of Cyprus passes away at 81
Al-Masri stated to the BBC earlier this year that he had been profoundly impacted by British rule and the Balfour Declaration's division of the Palestinian mandate in 1948 between Israel and the Arab territories.
I observed how people were abused. Nobody was there to defend us, and we had absolutely no protection," he said.
According to The Times, Al-Masri also plans to gather 100,000 signatures for a petition requesting that Britain review the declaration in light of claims that it was never ratified by parliament.
Also Read: Pope calls on politicians in Lebanon to "set aside" personal interests
He demands at least an apology for the British government's suppression of protests during the mandate period, which resulted in the deaths of 11 people in Halhul and dozens of villagers in the 1938 Al-Bassa massacre.
Al-Masri is working with British attorney Ben Emmerson and former International Criminal Court chief prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo.
Emmerson stated to the BBC earlier this year that "shocking crimes" were "systematically" committed against the Palestinian population by "certain elements of the British mandatory forces," and that even at the time the crimes were committed, they would have been considered violations of international law.
Also Read: Numerous people fill Bahrain's national stadium for the pope's main Mass
The Ministry of Defense acknowledged "historical allegations" and promised to "review thoroughly" any supporting documentation.