BICOM

The IDF prosecutor announced yesterday that the soldier responsible for the shooting of a wounded Palestinian terrorist in Hebron in March will be charged with manslaughter  in the Jaffa military court.

The 19-year-old sergeant from the Kfir brigade is on remand at an IDF base until the indictment is formally submitted on Monday. According to the prosecution, new evidence corroborates their case while undermining that of the defence, and proves that  Abdel Fattah al-Sharif was killed by the shot fired by the sergeant.

The soldier maintains that he shot the terrorist because he believed that he may have been about to detonate an explosive belt. His defence team referenced that the terrorist was wearing a coat on a hot day, which may have been hiding explosives, and that the terrorist was wounded after having attempted to stab an IDF solider minutes before.

The soldier’s family, and controversial Likud MK Oren Hazan, were also present in the courtroom to support him.

The case of the Hebron shooting has divided opinion in Israel. Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon and IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot have emphasised the importance of the rule of law and of soldiers obeying the rules of engagement. However, Education Minister Naftali Bennett (Jewish Home) and Israel Beiteinu leader Avigdor Liberman have urged support for the soldier.

The case came to public attention after a recording of the incident was released by human rights group B’tselem.