Goldsmith reveals UK may seek extradition of soldiers

The government's top law officer has confirmed that Britain has not ruled out forcing Tel Aviv to hand over the soldiers in line with a 50-year-old international law.

Attorney-General Lord Goldsmith revealed the seriousness of the government's investigations into the issue following a visit to Israel last month. The cases of film-maker James Miller and peace activist Tom Hurndall have developed into a thorny international dispute since they were killed in separate incidents three years ago.

Miller was shot in the neck while filming a documentary. Hurndall was shot dead by an Israeli soldier in Gaza a few weeks later.

Families of the two men launched vociferous campaigns for justice. Activists were outraged when it emerged the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) officer accused of killing Miller had not been disciplined for the episode - and had been promoted.

Although an IDF sniper was jailed for eight years for Hurndall's manslaughter, his parents have called for an investigation of the actions of the soldier's commanders.

Amid intense pressure from campaigners, the UK government was expected to keep the fallout from the incidents as restrained as possible. But now Goldsmith has revealed the most drastic measures to resolve the row remain under active consideration by the government.

Goldsmith became involved in the families' battles with the Israeli authorities after the coroner investigating both cases recorded verdicts of unlawful killing. He also wrote to the Attorney-General asking him to help the families to find justice.

Goldsmith ordered the police and the Crown Prosecution Service to investigate. He has now told fellow peers his judgment is that there are potential offences that could be tried in a British court, although he added:

"We are not at the stage where it would be right to look for warrants."

Miller's widow Sophy welcomed the Attorney-General's "open and active" approach. And former Tory home secretary Lord Waddington, whose son is married to Miller's sister, said a prosecution in the UK was now the "only way in which any justice will be done for James Miller's family".

He added: "It is now plain that it is very unlikely that there will be any prosecution in Israel."

Goldsmith also told peers that he was enjoying good co-operation from the Israeli authorities - something denied to the Miller family and the coroner, who was critical of Israel's refusal to participate in the inquest this year.

He said: "The coroner's jury did not, in fact, hear all the evidence - that is part of the criticism of what took place - because it did not have available the information and evidence that had been gathered in Israel."

The announcement came after lawyers for the dead men's families called on the government to seek the extradition of those accused of killing them to face trial in the UK under the Geneva Conventions Act 1957.