Tel Aviv, Feb. 1, (dpa/GNA) – Following the death of an 78-year-old Palestinian man, the Israeli army has criticized moral misconduct and inadequate decisions by the soldiers in charge.
The man – who was also a US citizen – had died about three weeks ago after being temporarily detained in the West Bank.
“One of the core values of the Israeli army – to protect human life – has been violated,” the statement, released in the early hours of Tuesday, said.
According to Palestinian sources, local residents found the man dead after his arrest. According to the Ministry of Health, he died of a heart attack.
There were accusations from the Palestinian side that the soldiers had harassed the man during the arrest and also blindfolded him.
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh as well as the Palestinian Foreign Ministry blamed Israel for the old man’s death.
According to the army, soldiers had been out at night in the area of the village of Jaljulia “to prevent terrorist activities and to seize weapons.”
During a vehicle check, the Palestinian man had not been able to identify himself and had refused to cooperate, they said.
The soldiers tied his hands together and gagged him for a short time. They also took him and three other Palestinians to a courtyard nearby. After half an hour, they were all released and all the shackles were removed.
The report says that the soldiers did not notice any signs of distress in the man during his arrest. They had assumed that he had fallen asleep.
The commander in charge would be reprimanded and two other superiors would be removed from their positions, the army said. They would not hold command positions for two years.
The results of the investigation are to be handed over to the military justice system.
Israel had conquered the West Bank and East Jerusalem, among other territories, in the 1967 Six-Day War. The Palestinians claim the territories for their own state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
GNA