An Israeli soldier who shot and killed a Palestinian fisherman near the Gaza frontier in 2018 has been given 45 days of community service after investigations concluded that he fired without authorization, the military said Thursday.
A group of Palestinians had approached the fence but were far away when the paratrooper opened fire, striking one of them, the Israeli military said without identifying the soldier or the Palestinian.
Nawaf al-Attar, a 23-year-old fisherman was shot and killed by Israeli troops near the northern beach frontier on Nov. 14, 2018, when the military said the shooting occurred.
The military said the soldier reached a plea bargain in which he pleaded guilty to charges of negligence and reckless endangerment. He received a suspended sentence and was demoted to the rank of private, the Associated Press (AP) reported.
Rights groups have accused Israel of using excessive force and of failing to adequately investigate the killing of Palestinian civilians.
For its part, Israel claims making every effort to avoid civilian casualties and accuses Palestinian militants of using civilians as human shields.
“Enforcing a military occupation on millions of people for decades requires exorbitant violence and impunity for the soldiers who sustain it,” the Israeli human rights group B'Tselem said in a statement.
“Forty-five days of community service for killing a man is but the latest example of how the military law enforcement system is designed to protect perpetrators, not their victims.”
According to AP, the Palestinian Authority has asked the International Criminal Court to probe alleged Israeli war crimes, including allegations related to violence in Gaza.
Israel has sought to rally the international community against any investigation, arguing that the Palestinians lack legal standing and that its own courts investigate and punish any misconduct.
Israel does not recognize the ICC, but any charges could put Israeli officials at risk of arrest in other countries.
