IDF soldier in Jericho (archive photo)
צילום: רויטרס
IDF unit suspended for killing Palestinian
Military unit suspended after soldiers shoot unarmed Palestinian dead in a chase near Jericho; Central Command chief orders investigation
An IDF unit was suspended on Thursday, after its soldiers killed a Palestinian and wounded two others in the Nabi Mousa area near Jericho.
The "Desert Storm" unit operates in the Judean desert, mainly arresting illegal residents in the Jordan Valley.
During an operation the force spotted three Palestinians entering a military zone holding pieces of metal, possibly after arriving in the area to collect metal and fallen IDF objects.
After being warned by the soldiers to stop, the men began to flee. During the chase the soldiers began the procedure of arresting a suspect.
The procedure includes gunshots in its final stages, but only to the lower body, and are not meant to be lethal hits.
One of the Palestinians died of his wounds on the way to the hospital. The other two were detained and transferred to Israel Police custody.
Central Command Chief Major-General Yair Naveh ordered the unit be suspended of all activity due to the fact that the incident ended in death, and for fear that the soldiers used poor judgment when opening fire.
Naveh also ordered the unit's commander colonel Yigal Slovik to carry out a full investigation of the incident.
Since it is not clear that the incident involved terrorists, the Military Advocate General's Office is likely to order the criminal investigation division to look into the matter as well.
