Caught on camera: Soldiers shoot detainee

Tuesday, July 22, 2008 at 2:07 am

A new video released by the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem shows an Israeli soldier shooting towards the leg of a Palestinian detainee from close range during protests against Israel’s West Bank barrier about two weeks ago.

Video distributed by the rights group shows an Israeli army officer gripping a blindfolded and handcuffed Palestinian detainee while another soldier aims a rifle towards his leg. The video is blurred when the gunfire echoes and it is unclear whether the Palestinian was hit and what was shot. The detainee is later seen lying on the ground at the feet of a group of Israeli soldiers while a soldier is bending over him.

B’Tselem said it received the footage from Palestinian residents of the West Bank town of Nilin on Sunday morning (July 20) and that it was shot approximately two weeks ago. “B’Tselem received this morning footage filmed in the village of Nilin approximately two weeks ago, showing an Israeli soldier firing a rubber-coated steal bullet at a Palestinian. The Palestinian has his hands tied behind his back and his eyes covered and the soldier is firing at him from very close range, approximately a meter and a half away.

This whole event happens in the presence of a high ranking officer, a lieutenant colonel,” said B’Tselem’s head of communications, Sarit Michaeli. “He was hit in his leg, he wasn’t even sure what actually hit him because his eyes were covered, he was hit in his leg, he has sustained bruises to his left leg and as far as we understand it now his condition is reasonable,” she added, saying that the man also claims that the soldiers beat him before the shooting.

“The bruising to his leg was sustained as a result of what ever hit him, we assume it’s the bullet. He was also beating by the soldiers prior to this event, he claims, this was not captured on tape, the beating wasn’t captured on tape,” she said. Michaeli also said the group had handed copies of the footage to the Israeli army, demanding an immediate investigation, but they had yet to receive a response.

An Israeli army spokesperson told Reuters that the army had received the footage a short while ago and was looking into the report. Nilin has seen weeks of demonstrations by Palestinian villagers and international activists over the construction of a section of Israel’s West Bank barrier near the town, and military clampdowns. The barrier, a network of fences and walls, is reviled by Palestinians for taking in swathes of occupied land where they want a state. Israel calls the barrier a bulwark against suicide bombers and says it could be scrapped if there is peace.

(With inputs from agencies)

( This post is from an independent writer. The opinions and views expressed herein are those of the author and are not endorsed by APakistanNews.Com.)

Caught on camera: Soldiers shoot detainee

From World:

Todays news from World News Alerts

Advertisement

Email Subscription

Advertisement