Israel President Pardons Soldier Who Shot Wounded Palestinian in 2016

Israeli soldier Elor Azaria was convicted of manslaughter after he shot a Palestinian attacker in Hebron in March 2016, despite the man having already been rendered incapacitated by Israeli troops. Video footage released by the Israeli Defense Forces showed the assailant, who had attempted to stab a soldier, lying on the ground wounded when Azaria fired a second shot that proved fatal. The incident prompted a military investigation, leading to a court‑martial in which Azaria admitted to the shooting but claimed he acted out of fear for his life. In February 2017, a Jerusalem district court sentenced him to 18 months in prison, a verdict that was upheld by the Israeli Supreme Court later that year.

The case ignited a polarized public debate in Israel, with some political figures and segments of the public viewing Azaria as a hero defending soldiers, while human‑rights groups and many international observers condemned the act as a breach of the laws of armed conflict. The conviction reinforced the Israeli military’s official stance that unnecessary use of force against incapacitated individuals is prohibited, and it underscored ongoing tensions over rules of engagement in the occupied West Bank. Azaria’s imprisonment, which concluded in 2020, remains a reference point in discussions about accountability and the conduct of security forces in the region.