ISRAEL NEWS - Hebron shooter's commander: He told me the terrorist needed to die

Pathologist in Hebron manslaughter case says terrorist could have survived if given treatment.

 

Trial proceedings in the manslaughter case against IDF Sgt. Elor Azaria continued on Thursday, with the defendant's commanding officer giving testimony detailing the controversial shooting of a "neutralized" terrorist in Hebron earlier this year.  

Azaria was charged with manslaughter following the fatal shooting of Abdel Fatal al-Sharif in Hebron on March 24 – after the terrorist had attacked soldiers, but was then shot and lying wounded on the ground.

Tweets by ‎@jeremybob1

1. Yonah Jeremy Bob @jeremybob1

   Naaman: there was no danger,no danger explosive not connected to us,shin bet deals with.we deal with stabbings,shooting.

   1h

    
2. Yonah Jeremy Bob @jeremybob1

   Naaman: azaria did NOT mention: feeling in danger, the knife or sn explosive vest. Azaria looked highly wound up,unusual for quiet soldier.

   1h

    
3. Yonah Jeremy Bob @jeremybob1

   Naaman: tells him to move to side and orders not to move.

   1h

    
4. Yonah Jeremy Bob @jeremybob1

   Naaman: someone says 'i shot' or 'it was elor'. I asked him why shot? Azaria: Terrorist was alive, he needs to die.

   1h

    
5. Yonah Jeremy Bob @jeremybob1

   Naaman: azaria shoots alsharif,he did not hear shooting,but then saw alsharif shot,assumed from nearby soldier, knew bullet bc head exploded

   1h

    
6. Yonah Jeremy Bob @jeremybob1

   Naaman: saw alsharif move head slowly,eyes closed,knife far away,not unusual to have coat.

   1h

    
7. Yonah Jeremy Bob @jeremybob1

   Naaman: i ordered area secured to guard against more attacks and to give medical care to those injured.

   1h

    
8. Yonah Jeremy Bob @jeremybob1

   Naaman: describes events, knew 1st terrorist dead,unclear how badly wounded alsharif but briefed by lower commander on 6 shots at alsharif.

   1h

    
9. Yonah Jeremy Bob @jeremybob1

   Maj. Tom naaman testifying against hebron shooter azaria, when azaria arrived on scene, told him to tend to wounded soldier O.

   1h

    
10. Yonah Jeremy Bob @jeremybob1

    Lawyer asked FEMALE autopsy shooting expert how much it hurts to get hit in the testicles to make point about pain. Maybe not best question.

    4h

     
11. Yonah Jeremy Bob @jeremybob1

    Humor in hebron shooter trial: My hebrew temporarily breaks down. Could not figure out why everyone laughing.

    4h

     
12. Yonah Jeremy Bob @jeremybob1

    Defense tries block expert from talk about other wounds,commits NOT to argue other wounds killed alsharif! Major retreat from talks to press

    6h

     
13. Yonah Jeremy Bob @jeremybob1

    Expert: testifies other wounds to alsharif besides azaria's shot, were not immediately life threat,maybe not at all,especially with doctor.

    6h

     
14. Yonah Jeremy Bob @jeremybob1

    Hebron shooter trial: autopsy report expert testifies that azaria's shot was what immediately killed al-sharif.

    6h

     
15. Yonah Jeremy Bob @jeremybob1

    Tweeting in 45 minutes from hebron shooter trial. Shooter's commander in field testifies against him as killing alsharif unnecessarily.

    7h

     
16. Yonah Jeremy Bob @jeremybob1

    Did Israeli AG just handicap PM as communications minister: http://www.jpost.com/Business-and-Innovation/BREAKING-AG-to-PM-Stay-out-of-Yes-v-Hot-competition-456803 …

    

    BREAKING: AG to PM: Stay out of Yes v. Hot competition

    Mandelblit ordered Netanyahu to transfer his authorities on issues where he has a conflict of interest to another minister.

    jpost.com

    15 Jun

     
17. Yonah Jeremy Bob @jeremybob1

    WAR CRIMES: Full story on IDF Lt. Col. being cleared for revenge shelling of pharmacy: http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/IDF-commander-from-Gaza-war-cleared-of-war-crimes-charges-for-opening-fire-on-pharmacy-456748 …

    

    IDF commander from Gaza war cleared of war crimes charges for opening fire on pharmacy

    The case centers around whether the commander ordered the shelling improperly or whether it was within his authority to do so during the 2014 Gaza war.

    jpost.com

    14 Jun

     
18. Yonah Jeremy Bob @jeremybob1

    BREAKING: Case got massive coverage in Israel, globally b/c Lt. Col recorded on walkie saying shelling was in honor of fallen comrade.

    14 Jun

     
19. Yonah Jeremy Bob @jeremybob1

    BREAKING: IDF closes one of biggest war crimes cases of 2014 Gaza war. Lt. Col. cleared of criminal charges for shelling pharmacy.

    14 Jun

     
20. Yonah Jeremy Bob @jeremybob1

    Is the CIA spin-doctoring Saudi involvement in the 9/11 attacks: http://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/ANALYSIS-Is-the-CIA-spin-doctoring-Saudi-involvement-in-911-attacks-456672 …

    

    ANALYSIS: Is the CIA spin-doctoring Saudi involvement in 9/11 attacks?

    John Brennan seems to be working to counter the imminent release of 28 pages from 2002 report.

    jpost.com

    14 Jun

     

The shooting was picked up on a video distributed by B’Tselem, went viral online and has dominated the airwaves with a war of words over Azaria’s guilt or innocence.

According to the testimony of IDF Major. Tom Naaman, who spoke against the defense, when he arrived at the scene of the incident he ordered Azaria, an IDF medic, to attend to other soldiers involved in the incident who the assailant attacked.

Naaman claimed that Azaria told him that al-Sharif was alive and "needed to die."

"I was furious that he shot the terrorist because I am his commanding officer and he did not get my approval," Naaman told the court. 

"I took him aside and asked him to wait and ordered him not to move. I updated the battalion and evacuated the wounded soldiers for further treatment," he added. 

The soldier's defense team has claimed that he acted in self defense, believing that the wounded terrorist could be wearing an explosives belt.

Earlier Thursday, a forensic pathologist testified in the Jaffa military court where the trail is being held that al-Sharif "could have possibly been alive today" if Azaria had not shot him. 

"If the terrorist had been given medical treatment, he could have possibly been saved," the medical examiner told the court.

On cross examination, Azaria's lawyer questioned the pathologist's examination of al-Sharif's body, scrutinizing the length of time it had been "in and out of refrigeration" before the medical examiner was allowed to inspect it.

The indictment against Azaria states that the incident started around 8:00 a.m. when two Palestinians, Abdel Fatah al-Sharif and Ramzi Aziz Mustafa Kusrawi, attacked Sec.-Lt. M.S. and Cpl. A.V. at the Jilbar checkpoint in Hebron (names of the of other soldiers involved in the incident have remained anonymous in order to protect their identity).

Responding to the attack, M.S. and A.V. shot and killed Kusrawi, shot six times and seriously injured al-Sharif, and al-Sharif stabbed and injured A.V.

The indictment states that he arrived on the scene “a few minutes later” as a medic and initially attended to A.V.’s wounds.

Next, Azaria spent a few minutes in the area uneventfully.

Subsequently, Azaria retrieved his helmet, which he had placed on the ground.

He handed it to a fellow soldier, took a few steps toward al-Sharif, set his gun ready to fire and fired one shot into his head, killing him instantly.

The indictment also says that Azaria fired on the Palestinian “against the rules of engagement, with no military necessity, at a moment when the terrorist al-Sharif was lying on the ground, was not engaging further attacks and did not constitute an immediate danger to the defendant, to the civilians or to the soldiers in the area.”