Israeli militarys says investigating killing of 21-year-old college student

IMEMC – The Israeli military will be investigating the killing of twenty-one year old Ibrahim Omae Sarhan on Wednesday July 13, 2011, for alleged wrongdoings. Israeli military sources said that an investigation does not mean the Israeli military were violating the operations rules of engagement, according to the Jerusalem Post.
According to the Jerusalem Post, an Israeli Military spokesman stressed that the soldiers acted “appropriately” since the young “man jumped out of a window during an arrest raid and tried to flee.”

The twenty-one year old Ibrahim was on his way to mosque when Israeli forces raided his residence at Al-Faraa refugee camp at 3:30 AM July 13, 2011. The college student ran once he saw the Israeli forces enter his camp and was shot in both legs while doing so.

After being shot in both legs, Ibrahim managed to flee to a nearby house, whose residents called an ambulance.

The Israeli military followed Ibrahim’s blood trail to the house he was residing at and detained him until he bled to death according to the Palestinian Solidarity Organization.

Major General Avichai Mandelblit announced in April that the Israeli Military would launch a new policy where immediate investigations would take place on killings of unarmed Palestinian civilians not suspected in terrorist activities.

The new MAG policy differs from the policy of investigation set in place in 2000, where investigations could only be done after operational probes, lead by field commanders, were accused on wrongdoings.

This policy does not apply when there is an exchange of fire. Consequently, this policy does not apply to unarmed Palestinian civilians of the Gaza Strip.

The new policy of investigating killings of unarmed Palestinians took into effect in order to minimize criticism of the Israeli Military.

If a violent conflict were to arise in the West Bank, the General Mandelbilt reserves the right to reverse his decision.