Hebron shooting incident

The Hebron shooting incident occurred on March 24, 2016, in the Tel Rumeida neighborhood of Hebron, when Abdel Fattah al-Sharif, a Palestinian assailant who stabbed an Israeli soldier, was shot, wounded and "neutralized", then was shot again, in the head, and killed a few minutes later, as he laid wounded on the ground by Elor Azaria, an IDF soldier. Azaria was arrested and the Israeli Military Police opened an investigation against him for charges of murder, but later downgraded it to manslaughter.

The soldier's act sparked widespread public debate in Israel, that became a continuation of an already widespread debate over how one should implement the Rules of engagement orders in the wake of the wave of Palestinian political violence.

Incident

On 24 March 2016, two Palestinian assailants stabbed an Israeli soldier and moderately wounded him in Tel Rumeida neighborhood of Hebron. Both assailants were shot and neutralized by Israeli soldiers. One of the assailants died and the other, Abed al Fatah al-Sharif, remained badly wounded. Sharif was then shot again in the head by Elor Azaria, an IDF medic serving in Shimshon Battalion of the Kfir Brigade. A video published by B'tselem showing an IDF medic aiming weapon at motionless al-Sharif lying on the ground, and shooting him in the head went viral on Israeli social media, sparking controversy.

Investigation and trial

The video of the shooting prompted the IDF to launch an investigation into what it said was “a very grave” incident. Azaria was initially treated as a murder suspect, but on 31 March prosecutors told a court they were looking into manslaughter charges. The initial investigation found that the shooting occurred three minutes after IDF soldiers shot and neutralized the knife-wielding assailants and pathologists ruled that his shot was responsible for the assailant's death and not his previous wounds. An IDF investigation whose details were revealed on March 27 found that the Azaria had said the assailant "needs to die" before killing him, contradicting the claims of his lawyer. The investigation also revealed that fellow soldiers had tried to calm him. His attorney has claimed he feared the assailant had an explosive vest hidden under his shirt and could have used it to kill the people surrounding him but IDF officials rejected the claim saying the assailants had already been checked for explosives, and he did not follow the procedures for such concerns before opening fire. He also claimed several times during the investigation that the assailant tried to reach for a knife that was 'within reach' of him, while the documentation in the video presents a different situation, in which the knife was a significant distance away from the assailant, who was in serious condition as it is. On 3 April, it was reported that both the Israeli and Palestinian pathologist ruled that it was the bullet of the Kfir Brigade soldier who shot the wounded al-Sharif in Hebron and killed him. The military prosecution announced on 14 April that the soldier will be charged with manslaughter. Azaria's identity had been kept under gag order which was lifted on 18 April following his indictment. Vice News obtained a classified IDF document concerning the killing. The document described internal investigations concluding that Azaria had actually killed the Palestinian knifer because he felt that "he needs to die" since he was a terrorist. The report stated that both Palestinian assailants had already been checked by another soldier before Azaria's arrival at the scene. It also stated that he had changed his version of events during his questioning, stating that he shot the assailant because he felt that there was a threat to his life.

Reactions

The soldier’s shooting drew widespread condemnation, including from Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who called it a violation of the army’s ethical code. Ya'alon said "The incident is highly severe, and completely contrary to the IDF's values and its combat morals. We must not allow, even as our blood boils, such a loss of faculties and control. This incident will be dealt with in the strictest manner." Netanyahu also termed the critisicm of the army over the shooting as "outrageous". IDF Spokesperson Brigadier general Moti Almoz said it was "a very severe incident. This is not the IDF culture or the Jewish people's culture." The controversy turned into a bitter political debate, splitting Israel’s rightwing government and inspiring demonstrations in Ramle and Beit Shemesh in support for the soldier. The soldier whose name was not officially revealed, has also attracted widespread support on Israeli social media with more than 13,000 people joining Facebook support groups and another 50,000 signing a petition backing his actions. Supporters of the soldier posted a video online of the moments before the shooting, which they say shows supports the soldier’s claim that he feared the assailant may have had an explosive device. The two most prominent figures who have given vocal support to the soldier and his family have been the far-right Israeli education minister, Naftali Bennett, whose "The Jewish Home" party organised the demonstration in the city of Ramle, and the former foreign minister, Avigdor Lieberman. Israeli lawmakers from the center-left reacted harshly, warning of the dangers of moral decline and of loose rules of engagement in the military. A demonstration in support of the soldier was organised by his family with former Knesset member Sharon Gal in Tel Aviv's Rabin Square on April 19. Singers Eyal Golan and David D'or and rapper Subliminal were slated to perform at the rally. However Golan and D'or pulled out of the rally citing the rally becoming politicised as the reason. The organisers had hoped for a large crowd numbering tens of thousands. However the rally drew only an estimated 2,000 people. The rally was attended by a number of pop icons, public figures and extremist figures. Netanyahu on April 19 urged for "balance" in the shooter's trial and said that he is sure the court will act wisely in weighing Azaria’s killing of the Palestinian attacker and the context in which he operated.