Israeli army absolves 2 soldiers who committed 2 separate roadblock killings of Palestinians

IMEMC- The Israeli Military Central Command absolved on Monday two Israeli soldiers who shot and killed two Palestinians at a roadblock in the occupied West Bank. The army said that the soldiers made what was described as “justified decisions”. The two shootings took place at a roadblock near the northern West Bank city of Nablus.

Israeli daily, Haaretz, reported that Avi Mizrachi, the head of the Central Command of the Israeli Army, said that the shootings that took at a roadblock earlier this month are justifiable, and that the soldiers “acted within the operations manual”.

The first fatal shooting was carried out on January 2 when soldiers of the Duchifat Brigade shot and killed a Palestinian man who allegedly was shouting in Arabic and ignored their orders to halt.

The soldiers claimed that they first shot him in the leg before they shot him dead after he “ignored their demands”.

Mizrachi stated that the soldiers acted in accordance with the orders, “as they took all needed measures before they decided to open fire”.

The second shooting took place on January 8 when the soldiers shot and killed Khaldoun Sammoudi, from Al Yamoun village, near Jenin. Read more