Israel to punish soldiers who fired in error

Israel to punish soldiers who fired in error
REUTERS

JAN 16: The Israeli army said on Monday it would discipline soldiers who shot dead a Palestinian woman and fired at a Vatican car in the West Bank in separate incidents earlier this month.

An internal inquiry found the commander of an army force had violated orders on opening fire in the killing of 20-year-old Fatma Abu Jeif, who was driving home from university in the West Bank when she was shot on January 7.

Two days later, soldiers shot at the car of a senior Latin Patriarchate official, Bishop Giacinto Marcuzzo, as he passed through a military roadblock with his secretary, Father Eli Kurzum.

The two clerics were driving from Nazareth, inside Israel, to visit a sick priest in a West Bank village.

No one was hurt in the incident, which involved a car with diplomatic licence plates and flying a Vatican flag.

"An investigation conducted by the brigade commander showed that the force erred in its response, conduct and the way it related to a car bearing diplomatic licence plates," an Army statement said.

"In these cases, in which soldiers and officers deviated from proper behaviour, command-level steps will be taken against those involved," the statement said, without elaborating.

At least 309 Palestinians, 13 Israeli Arabs and 44 other Israelis have been killed in the Palestinians' uprising for independence, the bloodiest violence between the two sides in years.