Muhammad Fokara is no stranger to controversial legal practices. Fokara, according to a March 11 report in Ha'aretz, filed an NIS 851 million lawsuit against Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Chief of General Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi, in the names of 74 members of the Al-Samouni family, 29 of whom were killed and 46 were wounded in Gaza during Operation Cast Lead.
However, when Al-Samouni family members were asked to comment on the lawsuit, they claimed to have never given Fokara power of attorney to take legal action in their names. Furthermore, the Center for Palestinian Human Rights in Gaza, which represents the family, said that it has no connection whatsoever to Fokara and that the family has requested that action be taken to stop the lawsuit and to investigate the circumstances under which it was submitted.
One Al-Samouni family member confirmed to Ha'aretz that he told Fokara over the phone about the family's tragedy and the names of those killed, but added that Fokara never sent an associate of his to take an official statement from him.
Fokara, according to the report, was unreachable for a response.
