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Nine years after an American activist was crushed by an Israeli army bulldozer, an Israeli civil court ruled Tuesday that Rachel Corrie's death was an accident, CNN reported.

Corrie, 23, was killed in 2003 while trying to block the bulldozer from razing Palestinian homes.

Her parents filed suit against Israel's Ministry of Defense in a quest for accountability and sought just $1 in damages. But Judge Oded Gershon ruled Tuesday that the family has no right to damages, backing an earlier Israeli investigation that cleared any soldier of wrongdoing.

"I believe this was a bad day not only for our family, but a bad day for human rights, for humanity, for the rule of law and also for the country of Israel," her mother, Cindy Corrie, said after the verdict.

Rachel's right to life and dignity were violated by the Israeli military," she said, adding that her daughter and her family deserve "accountability."

Israeli government spokesman Mark Regev countered criticism of the verdict by saying that "the whole idea that this was not a serious procedure is simply non-factual."

"They (the Corries) have lost a loved one, and we can all empathize with them," Regev said. "But I thik their criticism of the Israeli judiciary is unfounded. The Israeli judiciary is known for its independence, which they fiercely guard."