JERUSALEM (Reuters) – An Israeli soldier who shot dead a Palestinian toddler in a car two weeks ago thought he was firing at gunmen, the army said on Wednesday, blaming a mix-up caused by another soldier discharging his rifle in the air in violation of regulations.
Two-year-old Mohammad al-Tamimi suffered a fatal head wound in the June 1 shooting near Ramallah in the occupied West Bank. His father was hit in the shoulder. The Palestinian foreign ministry demanded accountability, deeming the incident a crime.
Publishing the results of its investigation, the Israeli military repeated previous assertions that Palestinian gunmen had fired at soldiers guarding a Jewish settlement that night.
An army officer searching the area saw a “suspicious vehicle and fired several times into the air”, prompting a soldier who heard those shots to open fire on the Tamimis’ car, believing the gunmen were using it for their getaway.
The investigation faulted commanders for miscommunication and “incorrect decision-making”, the statement said, adding that the officer who fired in the air would be reprimanded for violating standing orders.
The West Bank, among territories where Palestinians seek statehood, has experienced a surge of violence over the last 15 months.
A report by Israeli rights group Yesh Din based on military data from 2017 to 2021 found that Israeli soldiers were prosecuted in less than 1% of hundreds of complaints filed against them on alleged offences against Palestinians.
(Writing by Dan Williams; Editing by Howard Goller)
