Israeli court orders compensation for death of Palestinian girl

TEL AVIV, Israel (Ma'an) -- The family of a Palestinian girl killed in 2007 by Israeli soldiers has been awarded 1.6 million NIS ($430,000) in compensation by a Jerusalem court, the Israeli news site Ynet reported Sunday.

Abir Aramin, 10, was killed in Anata, East Jerusalem by a rubber bullet fired by an Israeli border guard officer.

Judge Orit Efal-Gabai from the Jerusalem District Court ruled that the Israeli state was responsible for the death of Abir Aramin and must pay her family compensation for burial expenses and "lost years," in addition to compensation based on the nature of her death.

Police at the time had claimed that autopsy results showed Aramin was killed by a stone.


The Israeli human rights group B'Tselem helped the family publish a pathologist's report which proved she was hit by a rubber bullet, Ynet said.

In the ruling, the judge stated that there was no dispute that the death of Abir Aramin was due to negligence and that the firing of rubber bullets violated military orders.

Abir Aramin was the daughter of Palestinian peace activist Bassam Aramin, who co-founded the peace group Combatants For Peace.

Figures published by B'Tselem say 141 Palestinian children were killed in 2006 by Israeli forces.