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Last update - 18:58 22/07/2008
Soldier filmed shooting bound Palestinian released from detention
By News Agencies
Tags: B'Tselem, IDF, Palestinian 

The Israel Defense Forces soldier filmed shooting at a handcuffed Palestinian near the West Bank town of Na'alin last week was released from police detention on Tuesday and sent back to join his unit.

The soldier, who was was filmed shooting a bound and blindfolded Palestinian with a rubber bullet at point blank range, told military investigators on Monday that his regiment commander had ordered him to fire.

The incident was caught on camera by a villager and released Sunday by the human rights group B'Tselem. The footage apparently shows a soldier firing his rifle toward a Palestinian detained at the protest in the West Bank village of Na'alin. The rifle appeared to have been modified to fire rubber-coated metal bullets.
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During his questioning, the soldier said that his commander, lieutenant colonel Omri, had told him "shoot him" three times. He then fired his rifle at the protester's foot.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak on Monday condemnded the incident.

"The Israeli military will investigate the incident, learn its lessons and hold those responsible to account," Barak said in televised remarks to legislators in his Labour Party. "Warriors do not behave like this."

The soldier was arrested Sunday, but the defense asked for his release saying he did not pose a danger to anyone.

During the course of the investigation, the commander, seen in the video holding the Palestinian detainee, was also questioned. Military sources said that the commander was surprised by the shooting and that the incident had likely resulted from a misunderstanding between the soldier and the officer.

The incident occurred July 7 during protests in the village of Na'alin against the construction of Israel's barrier in the West Bank.

The protester, Abu-Rahama, 27, had been tied up and blindfolded and was standing only a few centimeters away. Abu-Rahama told B'Tselem that he was beaten by the soldiers and then herded by soldiers and officers into a military jeep.

In the video, a soldier is seen aiming his weapon at the demonstrator's legs from a short range. Abu-Rahama said he sustained wounds to his left foot and then received first aid treatment by an army medic on the spot before being released.

An army statement said a military doctor who examined him found he had been "very slightly wounded with swelling to a toe on his right foot".

According to B'Tselem, the shooting was witnessed by several other soldiers and officers. The organization allegedly demanded an investigation be opened into his role and that the soldier who fired the gun "be brought to justice."

"This was a serious incident in stark violation of the [military's] rules of conduct and safety," the army statement said. "The advocate-general ... ordered a military police investigation into the incident upon receiving the footage."

The video was filmed by a Palestinian girl, 14, from a window in her home in the village.

"But there are questions about the edited parts," Major Avital Leibovitz, a military spokeswoman said, referring to the point where the video stops. The clip then resumes and shows footage of what appears to be a few moments later with Abu Rahama laying on the ground.

B'Tselem's spokeswoman Sarit Michaeli said the girl had accidentally stopped filming when she was startled by the gunshot and continued as soon as she became aware she had pressed the stop button.

As part of its "Shooting Back" project, B'Tselem has distributed about 100 cameras to Palestinians throughout the West Bank over the last year. Of these, several dozen were handed out in the Hebron area, where friction between Palestinians and Israelis is routine.

B'Tselem released a video last month showing the beginning of an apparent assault by masked, stick-wielding settlers on Palestinian farmers.

The footage shows four people holding sticks approaching the farmers near the settlement of Susya outside Hebron in the West Bank. One strikes a blow before the camera falls.

Israel Police this month arrested two resident of the Susya settlement, one of them a minor, suspected of involvement in the attack.

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      1.   Had The Event Happened As B`Tselem Pretend To , 12:55  |  Joseph.E 21/07/08
      2.   the first three sentences of this article... 13:03  |  eric 21/07/08
      3.   eric - no bias at all 13:35  |  ChanahS 21/07/08
      4.   Surely some mistake. Zionists told us this thuggery was staged. 14:09  |  Clickfool 21/07/08
      5.   This happens all the time 14:21  |  Ben Alofs 21/07/08
      6.   # 3 to chanahs re: due process 14:23  |  eric 21/07/08
      7.   Sometimes good people do bad things 14:31  |  EN 21/07/08
      8.   This is not only cowardice, but tyranny 14:33  |  mehmet 21/07/08
      9.   #4 Clickfool 14:34  |  Chris Linthwaite 21/07/08
      10.   shot in big toe 14:38  |  chalaba1 21/07/08
      11.   it would be interesting to learn... 14:48  |  ClearCut 21/07/08
      12.   Clearly you are all Anti-Semites 14:52  |  Adam 21/07/08
      13.   sure, a reprimand 14:55  |  Great Dane 21/07/08
      14.   The occupation destroys Israel 14:57  |  Joe 21/07/08
      15.   Here we Witness IDF thuggery 15:02  |  MAtt 21/07/08
      16.   How appalling... 15:09  |  tristan 21/07/08
      17.   Adam 15:12  |  FreeOne 21/07/08
      18.   en 7 15:17  |  potobac 21/07/08
      19.   Walked Away on His Own - Not Hospitalized 15:25  |  Thinking 21/07/08
      20.   To all the doubters ... 15:29  |  Filmaker 21/07/08
      21.   To #4 and #17 15:31  |  Oetis 21/07/08
      22.   SWF must to take part on this 15:33  |  Manolo ME expert 21/07/08
      23.   Shooting a BOUND.. palestinian...Increasing Hatred 15:36  |  ali 21/07/08
      24.   #4 It`s how they plan to get them both off any charges, Clickie 15:40  |  Johnboy 21/07/08
      25.   How can a bullet hit UNDER a toe on the right side of the foot? 15:44  |  Millie 21/07/08
      26.   THE soldier has been arrested.When are Arabs going to do the same 15:46  |  PETER SM 21/07/08
      27.   No big deal? 15:53  |  Erik 21/07/08
      28.   Peter SM 15:57  |  FreeOne 21/07/08
      29.   The Truth 16:04  |  Neil 21/07/08
      30.   ALOFFS You mean Arab drive by shootings of Israeli civillians 16:05  |  PETER SM 21/07/08
      31.   Tristan...My friend 16:09  |  Neil 21/07/08
      32.   #23 Give it a rest, PETER SM 16:12  |  Johnboy 21/07/08
      33.   Jews are better than this! (again) 16:17  |  utagawa 21/07/08
      34.   Surprise! 16:21  |  Natallie Durson 21/07/08
      35.   MEANWHILE JOHNBOY when are your comrades going to arrest & charge 16:23  |  PETER SM 21/07/08
      36.   Soldiers testimony unrelated to video . 16:30  |  Joseph.E 21/07/08
      37.   This prooves the goodness of the IDF 16:31  |  propaganda Bob 21/07/08
      38.   Peter Sm & Ben Jabo. Can we handcuff & shoot the two of you? 16:31  |  POP 21/07/08
      39.   To all you hypocrites 16:32  |  Gilles 21/07/08
      40.   #12 Adam 16:54  |  Dogpile 21/07/08
      41.   Marrano "Chris" Yoyne Lintwit,Brit troops only good at torturing 16:55  |  Absolute Sweden 21/07/08
      42.   to Ben Alofs#5 16:55  |  Ilya 21/07/08
      43.   Gilles (#37) 17:23  |  jjvanka 21/07/08
      44.   It is always the case, occupation ruins your moral values 17:23  |  Rami 21/07/08
      45.   #9 17:30  |  onar 21/07/08
      46.   #17 - FreeOne 17:35  |  Adam 21/07/08
      47.   Bad guy 18:09  |  Donato Pecorella 21/07/08
      48.   Gilles-on target 18:16  |  Miransky 21/07/08
      49.   #32, Johnboy to PETERSM (who never gives it a rest) 18:21  |  Silvienne 21/07/08
      50.   IMAGINE THE OPPOSITE! 18:27  |  kivi 21/07/08
      51.   Check for yourself: 18:27  |  Michael 21/07/08
      52.   Soldier following orders 18:33  |  ernie 21/07/08
      53.   "Jews are better than this" 18:35  |  Tug 21/07/08
      54.   damage to a strong democracy 18:38  |  matias 21/07/08
      55.   Soldier`s Law 18:46  |  ussishkin 21/07/08
      56.   Too bad there has to be a film 18:56  |  Dave Duncan 21/07/08
      57.   ALLEGED 19:01  |  Bruce 21/07/08
      58.   Moral IDF? 19:05  |  human 21/07/08
      59.   to Rami#44 19:26  |  Ilya 21/07/08
      60.   # 54 matias 19:31  |  Axel 21/07/08
      61.   Civilization 19:32  |  sam 21/07/08
      62.   #41 Absolute Sweden 19:39  |  Chris Linthwaite 21/07/08
      63.   jjvanka, you`ve revealed yourself 19:42  |  Gilles 21/07/08
      64.   #30 Oh Peter SM, stop whining 19:57  |  ballistic 21/07/08
      65.   #58 Human 20:01  |  ballistic 21/07/08
      66.   SHAME ON JUDAISM 20:04  |  YOAV 21/07/08
      67.   Rare occurrence 20:06  |  Axel 21/07/08
      68.   # 59 ilya 20:10  |  Axel 21/07/08
      69.   To Neil 20:12  |  American Christian 21/07/08