WAR: Israel Charges Officer Who Killed a 13 Year Old Palestinian Girl, page 1

An Israeli officer has been charged with illegally using his weapon, obstruction of justice, conduct unbecoming an officer, and improper use of authority. The charges stem from the October 5th shooting of a 13 year old Palestinian girl. According to the indictment, the officer approached the girl after she had been hit and fired 2 bullets into her at close range. He was performing an outlawed practice known as �verifying the kill�. He then began walking away, and turned and fired more shots into the body. Hospital officials report the girl was shot over 15 times.

story.news.yahoo.com[/url ]
JERUSALEM - Military prosecutors have issued a five-count indictment against an Israeli officer who comrades say repeatedly shot a wounded 13-year old Palestinian girl to make sure that she was dead, a military spokeswoman said Monday.

The spokeswoman said the officer was charged with two counts of illegally using his weapon, and one count each of obstruction of justice, conduct unbecoming an officer and improper use of authority. The officer, who has been suspended, was not identified.

Israeli soldiers fired at the girl, Iyman Hams, as she approached a military observation post near the Rafah refugee camp in the Gaza Strip on Oct. 5. The soldiers said they thought she was planting a bomb. The girl's family said she was on her way to school when she was shot.

According to the indictment, the officer approached the girl after she was shot and fired two rounds at her from close range, in an outlawed practice known as "verifying the kill." He began walking away, then turned around and shot her again.

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I am glad to see that the IDF is taking this incident very seriously. It had seemed that the whole incident was going to be white washed. Had it not been for the courage of the IDF troopers who witnessed this and spoke out to the media, I doubt he would have been charged at all. It remains to be seen if he is convicted on the charges. Most of the evidence has come from IDF eyewitness reports.

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[edit on 11/23/04 by FredT]