HAIFA, Israel — An Israeli court on Tuesday cleared the military of wrongdoing in the death of an American activist who was crushed by an Israeli bulldozer during a protest in the Gaza Strip nearly a decade ago, rejecting claims by her parents that the driver acted recklessly.

The verdict came after a seven-year legal battle waged by the family of Rachel Corrie, whose death remains a powerful symbol on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

For pro-Palestinian activists, Corrie has become a rallying cry and vivid image of what they say is Israel’s harsh repression of the Palestinians. In Israel, she is viewed as a tragic figure who naively put herself into harm’s way in a fit of idealism. The family said it was considering an appeal.

Corrie, who was 23, was crushed to death in March 2003 as she tried to block an Israeli military bulldozer in the southern Gaza town of Rafah. The incident occurred at the height of a Palestinian uprising, a time of heavy fighting between the military and Palestinian militants.