Soldiers punished over shooting of suspected car ramming Arab terrorist
Arab car rammings on innocent Jewish civilians along with stabbings have become one of most common methods of Islamic terrorism.
The commander of the Givati Brigade, Colonel Dado Bar Kalifa, reprimanded a company deputy commander following a shooting incident last month near Neve Tzuf, during which an Arab driver was killed after soldiers thought he was preparing to ram them.
The investigation was presented to Central Command Chief Major General Roni Numa. The officer was reprimanded for faults in the manner in which the report of the identification of a suspicious vehicle was conveyed to soldiers.
In addition, a squad commander was suspended from his post for unprofessional conduct after the report was received and during his activity at the scene thereafter.
The fatally wounded driver was identified as 26-year-old Muhammed Mussa. His sister, Latifah, who was with him in the car, was also shot and wounded.
Commanders in the field “understood that the incident was not a terrorist attack”, because no weapons were found in the vehicle, “among other reasons”.
The soldiers, on the other hand, explained that they had felt threatened and even received preliminary information about a suspicious vehicle in the area.
The IDF Spokesperson said that an investigation by military police is ongoing.
