Israeli leader defends military after shooting

Associated Press

JERUSALEM

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the military Sunday after an uproar over footage of a soldier lethally shooting a Palestinian attacker who already had been shot and subdued.

Netanyahu said the incident does not reflect the military’s conduct, and that criticism of the armed forces as a whole over the shooting is “outrageous and unacceptable.”

“The soldiers of the IDF, our children, maintain high ethical values while courageously fighting against bloodthirsty murderers under difficult operational conditions,” he said. “We must all support the IDF chief of staff, the IDF and our soldiers, who safeguard our security.”

The shooting took place Thursday in the West Bank city of Hebron after two Palestinians stabbed and wounded an Israeli soldier. The military said troops then 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 Palestinian lying on the ground, slowly moving his head. About a minute later, a soldier raises his rifle and fires. Blood is then seen streaming from the Palestinian’s head.

The military has arrested the soldier and opened an investigation into what it said appeared to be a “grave breach” of its values. The soldier’s family says he feared the wounded militant was reaching for an explosive.