Israeli soldier detained after shooting Palestinian in the head

Israeli soldier detained after shooting Palestinian in the head
Two Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces on Thursday after allegedly stabbing and injuring an Israeli soldier in Hebron's Old City, an Israeli army spokesperson said.
2 min read
24 March, 2016
Over 200 Palestinians have died in a fresh wave of violence since October [Getty]
An Israeli soldier was detained on Thursday after a video spread widely online showed him shooting a wounded Palestinian assailant in the head and killing him as he lay on the ground.

The graphic footage showed the Palestinian - who allegedly stabbed a soldier in the West Bank city of Hebron - along with another man as they lay on the ground following the shooting.

Medical teams are also seen treating the moderately injured soldier while ignoring the dying Palestinian youths.

The soldier then appears to shoot al-Sharif a second time in the head without apparent provocation as the medical personnel continue to attend to the Israeli soldier.

"A soldier approached one of the youths that was moving while yelling and opened fire at him from zero range," a witness told Ma'an News.

"Half-an-hour later, Israeli soldiers covered the two youths with black covers and took them to an unknown destination," the witness added.

Palestinian health minister, Jawad Awwad described the incident as a "war crime," highlighting the medics failed to treat the wounded man even prior to the shooting.

The shooting took place when the two Palestinians after allegedly stabbing and lightly wounding an Israeli soldier, an Israeli army spokesperson said.

The two assailants reportedly stabbed the soldier near a military checkpoint and "forces responded and shot the attackers," the spokesperson added.

The Palestinian health ministry identified the two Palestinian youths as Ramzi Aziz al-Qasrawi and Abdel Fattah Yousri al-Sharif, both 21 years old.

Israeli emergency medical services said the soldier, who was about 20 years old, was taken to a hospital for treatment and is in a stable condition.

The assault is the latest in a six month wave of violence that has left about 200 Palestinians and 28 Israelis dead.

Israel blames the attacks on Palestinian incitement while Palestinians lay the blame on frustration stemming from nearly five decades of Israeli military occupation.