Israeli army accuses two of its own of "negligent" killing of Palestinians

JERUSALEM (AFP) Apr 04, 2003
An Israeli soldier and an officer were accused this week of "negligently" killing two Palestinians and will have to appear before a military tribunal, according to an army statement Friday.

The statement cites two separate incidents that occurred in the West Bank at the end of 2002.

The first took place near the village of Sourda, north of Ramallah on December 3, when an Israeli soldier fired at a Palestinian taxi that seemed suspect to him, killing female passenger Fatima Obeidi and injuring another one.

The second occurred in the village of Nazlat Zid, east of Jenin in the northern area of the West Bank on October 4 when an officer opened fire on demonstrators, killing Mohammad Ali Zid.

The army's prosecutor general has accused the soldier and the officer of negligently killing the Palestinians, according to the statement.

The identities of the accused are not provided, nor the date of their trial or the penalties they could face if convicted.

WAR.WIRE