Published on Mar 24, 2016 
 
 Soldier shoots, kills Palestinian attacker lying on the ground, Hebron 
 
 Credit: B'Tselem 
 
 For the full article at Haaretz.com: 
 
 http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/.p... 
 
 Israeli Soldier Suspected of Killing Subdued Palestinian Assailant in Hebron 
 
 Video shows a soldier shooting a wounded Palestinian man who had earlier carried out a stabbing attack in Hebron; IDF suspends soldier, opens investigation. 
 
 An IDF soldier shot in the head a Palestinian man who stabbed another soldier in an attack in Hebron on Thursday morning while he lay on the ground and did not pose a threat to security forces, according to documentation by the B’Tselem human rights group. 
 
 A video provided by a B'Tselem fieldworker following the stabbing attack at the entrance to the Tel Rumeida neighborhood in the city shows that a solder shot the Palestinian assailant who was lying on the ground, wounded, and who did not pose a threat to security forces. ||||| Supporters of an IDF soldier being investigated for shooting an apparently disarmed Palestinian assailant in the West Bank city of Hebron on Thursday posted a video online of the moments before the shooting, which they say shows as reasonable the soldier’s claim that he feared the attacker may have had an explosive device. 
 
 The soldier was arrested Thursday after he was filmed shooting the Palestinian shortly after the latter had stabbed a different soldier. When the suspect shot him, the Palestinian was already lying on the ground wounded, as a result of troops’ gunfire during his attack. 
 
 The soldier was brought to the Jaffa Military Court Friday for an extension of his remand. He is now being treated as a murder suspect. 
 
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 The Palestinian was one of two stabbers who attacked soldiers near the Tel Rumeida neighborhood in Hebron. 
 
 The soldier’s shooting drew widespread condemnation, including from Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who called it a violation of the army’s ethical code. The army’s Military Police have launched a criminal investigation into the incident. 
 
 An investigation was also launched Thursday by the Central Command into the apparent failure of two officers on the scene to prevent the shooting. 
 
 But in the latest video, seen below, rescue crews are shown moments before the shooting, with the conversation clearly focused on the possibility that the stabber continued to constitute a threat to those around him. 
 
 צפו: תיעוד חדש מהתקרית, תומך בגרסת החייל כי היה חשש להמצאות מטען על גוף המחבלקרדיט: הצלה יו"ש Posted by ‎רוטר.נט – סקופים וחדשות‎ on Friday, 25 March 2016 
 
 “That terrorist is still alive, the dog! Don’t let him attack us!” one medic is heard saying after apparently seeing the Palestinian moving. 
 
 “It looks like he has a bomb on him,” shouts another voice. “Until a sapper comes, nobody touches him!” 
 
 The video appears to corroborate the suspect’s own testimony to investigators according to which the Palestinian was still “moving underneath his jacket, where he could have been hiding explosives or weapons,” as the soldier’s attorney Benjamin Malka explained Thursday. 
 
 This warning, however, was not unique to this incident. It is standard IDF operating procedure to assume that an assailant has an explosive device to carry out a secondary attack on first responders. 
 
 Other soldiers can also be seen in the two videos from the scene standing next to the two Palestinian assailants, making it unclear how serious the threat of an explosive device was considered by the people on the scene. 
 
 The graphic video of the Thursday morning incident went viral on Israeli social media, sparking controversy. 
 
 But lawyer Malka told Ynet shortly after the incident that his client should not be judged before an army investigation is completed. 
 
 In the video, the soldier is partially blocked from view by other members of his unit when the shot is fired. However, the impact of the bullet can be seen. The Palestinian man can then be seen bleeding from the head. 
 
 (Video contains graphic images) 
 
 In an earlier interview with Army Radio, Malka called his client an “outstanding soldier, salt of the earth,” adding that “he has yet to be allowed to defend his innocence.” 
 
 The video prompted the IDF to launch an investigation into what it said was “a very grave” incident. 
 
 IDF spokesman Brig. Gen. Moti Almoz said the soldier had been arrested and pledged that there would be a thorough investigation into the shooting. “This is not the IDF, these are not the values of the IDF and these are not the values of the Jewish people,” Almoz said. 
 
 Ya’alon said the case would be handled “with all due severity,” saying the soldier’s apparent actions were “in utter breach of IDF values and our code of ethics in combat.” 
 
 As news of the shooting spread, Israeli lawmakers from the center-left reacted harshly, warning of the dangers of moral decline and of loose rules of engagement in the military. 
 
 The Palestinian Authority, meanwhile, accused Israel of committing “a war crime,” with PA Health Minister Jawad Awwad saying the Palestinian assailant had been “executed” by soldiers, and claimed the footage was “irrefutable evidence that Israeli soldiers commit field executions.” 
 
 Israel has come under criticism from Europe and the United States for allegedly using excessive force in stopping Palestinian terrorists. The PA and some countries, notably Sweden, have accused Israel of extra-judicial executions — something Israel has vigorously denied. 
 
 The incident in Hebron marked the first attack since Saturday, breaking a rare calm spell amid a wave of violence in the West Bank and Israel that has raged for nearly half a year. 
 
 In the nearly six months of Palestinian terrorism and violence since October, 29 Israelis and four foreign nationals have been killed. About 190 Palestinians have also been killed, some two-thirds of them while attacking Israelis, and the rest during clashes with troops, according to the Israeli army. ||||| FILE - In this Thursday, March 24, 2016 file photo, Israeli soldiers stand near the body of a Palestinian who was shot and killed by a soldier while laying wounded on the ground after a stabbing attack... (Associated Press) 
 
 FILE - In this Thursday, March 24, 2016 file photo, Israeli soldiers stand near the body of a Palestinian who was shot and killed by a soldier while laying wounded on the ground after a stabbing attack in Hebron, West Bank. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the military Sunday, March... (Associated Press) 
 
 FILE - In this Thursday, March 24, 2016 file photo, Israeli soldiers stand near the body of a Palestinian who was shot and killed by a soldier while laying wounded on the ground after a stabbing attack in Hebron, West Bank. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the military Sunday, March... (Associated Press) FILE - In this Thursday, March 24, 2016 file photo, Israeli soldiers stand near the body of a Palestinian who was shot and killed by a soldier while laying wounded on the ground after a stabbing attack... (Associated Press) 
 
 JERUSALEM (AP) — Amateur video appearing to show an Israeli soldier killing an already wounded Palestinian attacker sparked uproar in Israel on Sunday, reflecting the deep divisions in the country following six months of violence. 
 
 As the Israeli military pressed on with an investigation, nationalistic politicians accused the army of abandoning the soldier, while political doves bemoaned the erosion of the nation's morals. Palestinians, meanwhile, said the shooting proved their claims that Israel is guilty of using excessive force and carrying out extrajudicial killings. 
 
 The shooting took place last Thursday in Hebron, the volatile West Bank city that has been a focal point of the latest wave of Israeli-Palestinian violence. The military said two Palestinians stabbed and wounded an Israeli soldier before troops shot and killed the pair. 
 
 In a video released by the Israeli human rights group B'Tselem, one of the attackers appears to still be alive after the initial shooting. The video, taken by a Palestinian volunteer for the group, shows the wounded attacker lying on the ground, slowly moving his head. About a minute later, a soldier raises his rifle, cocks the weapon and fires. Blood is then seen streaming from the Palestinian's head. 
 
 The Israeli military quickly arrested the soldier and opened an investigation into what it said appeared to be a "grave breach" of its values. A military court has ordered the soldier to remain held until Tuesday while the investigation continues. 
 
 Military officials also have cast doubt on the soldier's claim that he believed the Palestinian was carrying explosives. 
 
 On Sunday night, B'Tselem released a second video it says shows the same soldier at the scene shaking hands with Baruch Marzel, a well-known ultranationalist, after the shooting. 
 
 Lt. Col. Peter Lerner, a military spokesman, said a preliminary investigation found the soldier arrived on the scene some six minutes after the initial incident, and that the second shooting occurred several minutes after that. "There was no apparent threat from the Palestinian that was incapacitated," Lerner said. 
 
 He said that commanders had already reported the shooting to their superiors before the video emerged. "There was already a military police investigation. We already knew the behavior was not in line with the code of conduct and ethics," he said. 
 
 The Israeli media, citing military officials, quoted the soldier as saying the Palestinian "deserved to die." 
 
 Lerner said three officers at the scene were reprimanded for not giving medical attention to the wounded Palestinian, as is required under military policy. 
 
 The sister of the soldier, who was not identified, accused the military of publicly convicting her brother, and several nationalistic lawmakers came to his defense, accusing detractors of abandoning him before he was given a fair hearing. 
 
 "Have we lost our minds? We're at war. War against vicious terrorism," said Naftali Bennett, leader of the hardline Jewish Home party. He said the shooting should be investigated, but criticized politicians and the media for rushing to condemn the soldier. 
 
 Avigdor Lieberman, leader of the right-wing opposition party Yisrael Beitenu, asked to meet the soldier in prison and accused the prime minister of looking for the support of the "bleeding hearts." 
 
 Over the weekend, hundreds of people protested in support of the soldier outside the prison, and posters surfaced denouncing his critics, including the military chief and defense minister. 
 
 In a Facebook post, Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon accused unnamed politicians of "a campaign of incitement" against the military leadership. "The sane elements in Israel, on the right and the left, must unite against this evil wind and stop it," he said. 
 
 Sima Kadmon, a commentator for the Yediot Ahronot daily, criticized the social media posts defending the soldier, and also lashed out at the apparent apathy shown by soldiers in the video after the Palestinian was shot. 
 
 But she said "the most troubling thing is the politicians who rushed to the defense of the shooter, even though top military officials, who are far more familiar with the circumstances of the incident and the findings of the inquiry, have called this for what it is: murder." 
 
 Addressing his Cabinet on Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the shooting was not reflective of the military's conduct and rejected criticism of the armed forces' morals as "outrageous and unacceptable." But he also defended the military against its right-wing critics. "We must all support the IDF chief of staff, the IDF and our soldiers, who safeguard our security," he said. 
 
 The shooting came amid a six-month wave of Palestinian stabbings, shootings and car-ramming attacks that has killed 28 Israelis and two Americans. Over the same time, at least 188 Palestinians have died by Israeli fire. Israel says most were attackers, and the rest died in clashes with Israeli security forces. 
 
 Israel blames the attacks on incitement by Palestinian leaders and social media. Palestinians say the violence stems from frustration at nearly five decades of Israeli military occupation. 
 
 The Palestinians have also accused Israel of using excessive force and killing assailants who have already been stopped or wounded. A handful of amateur videos supporting the Palestinian claims have emerged in recent months, but Thursday's killing of Palestinian Abdel-Fattah al-Sharif was perhaps the clearest so far. 
 
 "The way al-Sharif was killed is very common, but this time we had the camera to film the extra-judicial killing," said Jamal Zakout, director of Al-Ard, a Palestinian think tank in the West Bank town of Ramallah. He said the Palestinians could use the killing as a "good example" in their appeal for "international protection" from Israel. 
 
 Ben Caspit, a liberal commentator with the Maariv daily, said Israel must protect its "moral backbone." 
 
 "The Israeli army is not an army that carries out extrajudicial executions," he said. "It must not be such an army. On that day, we will know what we have lost. Unfortunately, we are not far off from that loss." 
 
 ___ 
 
 Associated Press writers Ian Deitch in Jerusalem and Mohammed Daraghmeh in Ramallah, West Bank, contributed to this report.
– Amateur video appearing to show an Israeli soldier killing an already wounded Palestinian attacker sparked uproar in Israel on Sunday, reflecting the deep divisions in the country following six months of violence, the AP reports. As the Israeli military pressed on with an investigation, nationalistic politicians accused the army of abandoning the soldier, while political doves bemoaned the erosion of the nation's morals. Palestinians, meanwhile, say the shooting proved their claims that Israel is guilty of using excessive force and carrying out extrajudicial killings. The shooting took place last Thursday in Hebron, the volatile West Bank city that has been a focal point of the latest wave of Israeli-Palestinian violence. The military says two Palestinians stabbed and wounded an Israeli soldier before troops shot and killed the pair. In a video released by the Israeli human rights group B'Tselem (WARNING: DISTURBING CONTENT), one of the attackers appears to still be alive after the initial shooting. The video, taken by a Palestinian volunteer for the group, shows the wounded attacker lying on the ground, slowly moving his head. About a minute later, a soldier raises his rifle, cocks the weapon and fires. Blood is then seen streaming from the Palestinian's head. But newly released footage of the shooting appears to show that a medic believed the man was about to trigger a bomb, and cried out for help, the Times of Israel reports. The Israeli military quickly arrested the soldier and opened an investigation into what it said appeared to be a "grave breach" of its values. A military court has ordered the soldier to remain held until Tuesday while the investigation continues.