Not Guilty: Israeli Soldier Shot Palestinian Girl 17 Times

[CardSharp]

An Israeli army officer, who killed a 13-year-old Palestinian girl by shooting her 17 times, has been acquitted on all charges by an Israeli military court.

Last year, Iman al-Hams walked into a security zone at an Israeli army post along the Gaza Strip border, an area forbidden for all non-military personnel. She was also carrying a backpack, which is a common carrying-case for explosives for suicide bombers.

A soldier in a watchtower saw the girl, and radioed troops on the ground. In a recording obtained by an Israeli television station, the soldier describes Iman as "a little girl" who was "scared to death." Troops opened fire. She dropped the bag and started running. They then fired at the bag, establishing that it did not contain explosives. The recording reveals she was running away from the army post when she was shot.

An officer identified only as "Captain R" moved in for "confirmation of the kill," which is apparently standard procedure. But Palestinian witnesses say while she was lying on the ground, Capt. R opened fire at the girl, emptying his weapon.

On the tape, Captain R "clarifies" to the soldiers under his command why he killed Iman: "This is commander. Anything that's mobile, that moves in the (security) zone, even if it's a three-year-old, needs to be killed."

Captain R was not charged with her killing, rather he was charged with illegal use of his weapon, conduct unbecoming an officer and perverting the course of justice by asking soldiers under his command to alter their accounts of the incident.

Captain R claimed he did not fire the shots at the girl, only near her. But Dr. Mohammed al-Hams, who inspected the child's body, counted numerous wounds.

"She has at least 17 bullets in several parts of the body, all along the chest, hands, arms, legs," he told the British newspaper the Guardian shortly afterwards. "The bullets were large and shot from a close distance. The most serious injuries were to her head. She had three bullets in the head. One bullet was shot from the right side of the face beside the ear. It had a big impact on the whole face."

Following the verdict, Captain R burst into tears, turned to the public benches and said: "I told you I was innocent."

After the verdict, Iman's father, Samir al-Hams, said the army never intended to hold the soldier accountable.

"They did not charge him with Iman's murder, only with small offenses, and now they say he is innocent of those even though he shot my daughter so many times," he said. "This was the cold-blooded murder of a girl. The soldier murdered her once and the court has murdered her again. What is the message? They are telling their soldiers to kill Palestinian children."

From what I can gather, officers asking soldiers to change their incident reports is standard operating procedure in the IDF.

 

[Jigs]

Pathetic. This is how the Zionists operate though. No way can they put their own in jail.


White phosphorus shelling of schools is also standard operating procedure for the IDF.

 

[Spring Onion]

Terrorist state of Israel and its terrorist allies

 

[GentlemanObserver]

"I told you I was innocent."

If i had a pound for everytime a criminal scumbag said that... Another guy protested his innocnecne is a emotional public display:

Remember him?

Anyway back on topic, this is not new at all this is how the IDF operates, in 2009 alone the UN received 100 complaints regarding the IDF abusing children and women and arresting Palestinian men without charge.

It is funny that is Isreali state machine behaves more and more like the Gestapo then they can ever comprehend.

Gestapo - nazi Germany

Modern day westbank

 

[r3alist]

where is the outrage?

i sometimes wonder how little we think of ourselves and how little others think of ourselves, remember israel went to war over the kidnapping of two soldiers but we have came to accept this type of story as the norm, no big deal...

 

[somebozo]

First lets have a full account of story..there are reports about hamas forcing young boys and girls into security zones to make a media cry. All Israel no-entry zones have plenty of warnings around. Only one can understand the incident by comprehending both sides of conflict.

 

[Jigs]

First lets have a full account of story..there are reports about hamas forcing young boys and girls into security zones to make a media cry. All Israel no-entry zones have plenty of warnings around. Only one can understand the incident by comprehending both sides of conflict.

So why exactly was she shot 17 times ?. Generally those places are open land with guard towers. Or walled up. If she charged a check point or something i can understand but how did they end up opening fire ?

 

[Nahraf]

Zionist Nazi are never found guilty of crimes against humanity. They have license to kill non-Jews !

 

[A.Muqeet khan]

First lets have a full account of story..there are reports about hamas forcing young boys and girls into security zones to make a media cry. All Israel no-entry zones have plenty of warnings around. Only one can understand the incident by comprehending both sides of conflict.

prove it

 

[CardSharp]

First lets have a full account of story..there are reports about hamas forcing young boys and girls into security zones to make a media cry. All Israel no-entry zones have plenty of warnings around. Only one can understand the incident by comprehending both sides of conflict.

Don't you think it's a little immoral to even have free-fire zones?

 

[Fighter488]

This is how innocence is proved in zionists Israel. Uncle SAM's illigitimate child is an example for all.

Hell with Israel and its supporters.

 

[Solomon2]

#1: The story is five years old.
#2: The story as quoted is incomplete. I've provided the key bit and the link, as well as another newspaper's account of the trial:

The prosecution case was damaged when a soldier who initially said he had seen Capt R point his weapon at the girl's body and open fire later told the court he had fabricated the story.

quoted article from The Guardian.

...The witnesses, Givati Brigade soldiers from R's company, said they lied during the military probe of the incident and in statements they provided the court in an effort the cause the ousting of R from the company.

Defense attorneys also maintained that what appeared to be "confirmation" of the girl's death by R was, in fact, a known IDF practice employed to eliminate immediate threats.

Hard to appealChief military prosecutor Brig. Gen. Avihail Mandelblit said he does not regret he served the indictment against R, saying "there were testimonies of people who saw him firing his weapon and there was evidence for an alleged criminal act."

"However," he continued, "the verdict is a mark of honor to the court and right now it seems it would be hard to appeal against it," Mandelblit concluded.

R's father said the military court's ruling reinforced with faith in the IDF and the judicial system but also said he expects a full apology. "

link from Ha'aretz

 

[oceanx]

Don't you think it's a little immoral to even have free-fire zones?

That may be. But I am with Bozo here. From the account you quoted, this so-called Army Captain was guilty as sin.

But it doesn't establish why the little girl was milling around there, or whether someone was indeed hoping to "profit" from her death ...

 

[Solomon2]

So, somebody had to reach back half a decade for even an accusation of an Israeli soldier who behaved improperly, and even so both he and his accuser had their day in court.

On the other hand, many Arabs and Muslims attempt to murder Jews whenever they can for no reason other than hate-inspired politics. The following incident really did happen today:


4 Israelis killed in shooting attack

Initial report: At least four Israelis murdered in West Bank shooting attack Tuesday evening ahead of resumption of peace talks in Washington; security forces, rescue services rush to scene of attack in Gush Etzion area

Ynet reporters
Latest Update: 08.31.10, 20:59 / Israel News

Lethal terror attack on eve of peace talks : Four Israelis were murdered Tuesday evening after the vehicle they were traveling in was ambushed by terrorists in the Hebron region.

At least some of the victims, who are all residents of Beit Hagai, are members of the same family. Ambulance service officials said the victims include two men aged about 25 and 40, as well as two women of roughly the same ages, one of them pregnant.

According to initial reports, an Israeli vehicle traveling in the area came under fire directed at it from a passing vehicle at the Bani Naim junction on Highway 60, between Hebron and Kiryat Arba.

More than one terrorist apparently took part in the attack, with Channel Two reporting the attackers apparently confirmed the death of the Israeli victims by shooting them at close range, before fleeing the scene.

"The vehicle was sprayed with dozens of bullets," a paramedic at the scene told Channel 2. "There were numerous shell casings around. We found four bodies and there was no chance whatsoever to help them; all we could do was to pronounce the death of these four Jews."

Paramedic Guy Gonen told Ynet: "The victims were hit by numerous shots from short range. It looked like a well-planned ambush."

IDF security forces were scouring the area for suspects. Notably, the army had been on high alert ahead of the resumption of peace talks in Washington. Troops set up roadblocks on Hebron-area roads in an effort to nab the attackers.

The IDF also imposed a closure on the nearby village of Bani Naim, Palestinian sources said.

Military officials said that they did not have any specific advance warning of such attack, but rather, only routine alerts. Following the attack, security forces across the nation were ordered to go on high alert ahead of the possibility of further attacks.

'Message to negotiators'

Palestinian security forces were also informed of the attack, which took place just as the Ramadan fast was ending, and are looking into the incident. A Palestinian security official said that a Hamas cell is believed to be behind the lethal attacks. He noted that the last attack in the Hebron region, which left an Israeli police officer killed, was also the work of Hamas.

Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum told Ynet the attack was not meant to foil direct peace talks, and said the negotiations had failed even before starting.

"This is a natural response by the Palestinian resistance to the enemy's crimes, and is proof that despite the resistance's persecution by the security services and despite Israel's crimes, the Palestinians are capable of responding to these crimes."

"This is proof that the Palestinian resistance is living, breathing, and kicking," he said.

Addressing the Palestinian Authority's estimate that Hamas was behind the attack, Barhoum said: "Things are not as they were described by the Authority's security forces."

Meanwhile, the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) told Ynet Tuesday's shooting attack was a message to the Palestinian negotiating team ahead of the resumption of direct talks with Israel.

"They should not have embarked on this move without the support of the Palestinian people," PRC Spokesman Abu Mujahid said. "Our people still espouse the resistance and do not believe in the fictitious talks scheduled to commence tomorrow. "

Ronen Medzini, Ari Galahar, Raanan Ben-Zur, and Ali Waked contributed to the report

 

[CardSharp]

#1: The story is five years old.

That's why my article was about the verdict of the trial.

That may be. But I am with Bozo here. From the account you quoted, this so-called Army Captain was guilty as sin.

But it doesn't establish why the little girl was milling around there, or whether someone was indeed hoping to "profit" from her death ...

Let's leave the conspiracy theories to the 9/11 fanboys with too much time on their hands please.

also wrt your new signature.

Good intention under-appreciated... is usually called "bad attitude".
And I apologize for my good intention.

You probably fancy yourself some kind of polemicist, and that your contrarian position puts you above it all somehow, but tbh you're not as cool as you think.