Jerusalem: The Israeli military on Thursday said prosecutors had announced plans to file manslaughter charges against an Israeli Defense Forces who was caught on video shooting a wounded Palestinian attacker in the head in the West Bank city of Hebron last month as he lay on a road, wounded and subdued.
The shooting has become the focal point of a seven-month wave of Israeli-Palestinian violence. Prior to the posting of the video, the Israeli military claimed that two Palestinians had stabbed and wounded an Israeli soldier before the troops shot and killed both.
The soldier was hailed as a hero by his relatives and many Israeli sympathizers.
The incident has triggered uproar in Israel with the country’s defense minister. The poll shows a majority of Israelis don’t believe that the solider should be charged with a crime, and another poll shows that he should be given an award for the killing.
More than 200 Palestinians have been killed and at least 33 Israelis and foreign nationals have died since violence erupted in October.
The soldier appeared in a military court, where his detention was extended until Monday. He was charged with manslaughter, which is defined as “the killing of a person without premeditation,” can carry a sentence of up to 20 years, depending on the circumstances.