CCTV footage probes IDF soldier’s claim he killed Palestinian in ‘self defence’
Newly-released CCTV footage has thrown doubt on claims from a senior Israeli soldier that he was acting in self-defence when he shot and killed a Palestinian teenager on 3 July.
Col. Yisrael Shomer, a brigade commander, was travelling by car when 17-year old Mohammed Kasbeh threw a stone at it. Shomer said at the time that he used lethal force only because he feared for his life.
But video from the CCTV camera of a garage forecourt, obtained by journalists and human rights groups, show Kasbeh running away while Shomer gives chase.
Only hours after Shomer shot Kasbeh, the third sibling in his family to have been killed by the IDF, far-right minister Naftali Bennett led several leading politicians in rushing to praise the senior officer.
However, medical evidence and eyewitness reports suggested that Kasbeh had been “shot in the back,” a finding which would contradict Shomer’s version of events.
“The claim that Kasbeh posed a mortal threat to the soldiers at the time of the shooting, having fled the scene, is unreasonable,” said rights group B’Tselem in a statement.
Now, with the video evidence coming to light, military investigators are due to continue questioning Shomer, who has been given the full backing of the army.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
