Israel Gives Three Months Community Service for Soldier Who Killed Innocent Palestinian (2020)
2020-08-16
The 23-year-old victim, Ahmad Manasra, was helping a man who had been shot by the same soldier and seriously wounded. The soldier who killed Manasra was charged with negligent homicide, but was not charged for wounding the other man, although the first shooting is mentioned in the indictment.
According to an eyewitness, the soldier fired six bullets at Manasra.
village of Wad Fokin, near Bethlehem on March 21, 2019. ( Wisam Hashlamoun/Flash90)
A military court approved a plea bargain on Wednesday which gives a soldier three months of community service for the wrongful shooting of two Palestinians, one of whom died.
According to military prosecutors, Alaa Ghiyada, 38, was shot in the stomach multiple times by the soldier in March on the side of a road near Bethlehem. The soldier, who has not been identified publicly, said that he had incorrectly believed Ghiyada was throwing rocks at passersby.
Ahmad Manasrah, 23, who arrived on the scene and attempted to help Ghiyada, was also shot by the same soldier and died of his wounds. All sides now agree no stones were thrown and that both Manasrah and Ghiyada were innocent.
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Under the plea bargain, the soldier pled guilty to the military’s equivalent of negligent homicide and was sentenced to three months of unpaid military service, probation, and a demotion to private. The soldier was not charged at all for shooting Ghiyada.
