Israeli military shoots and kills Palestinian it says tried to stab pedestrian

The two Israeli minors, who have not been named, were found guilty of abducting, beating and then burning to death Mohammed Abu Khdeir in July 2014.

Abu Khdeir’s father Hussein denounced the verdict, telling Israeli Army Radio that the trial was “a lie”. Their names were not released under Israeli law. They will be sentenced next month.

Two would-be Palestinian stabbers were shot dead as they allegedly attempted to carry out attacks in the West Bank. “I’m afraid that the court will eventually get them off the hook”, he was quoted as saying by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz. The two accomplices, beat the Palestinian teen unconscious in the back of a auto being driven by Ben David, according to their court confessions. Both minors blamed Ben-David for planning the murder of Abu Khdeir and exerting heavy pressure on them to participate.

Ben-David has not spoken in court but Muhammad’s family said he was clearly sane and appeared lucid in videos shown in court.

Experts say the Israeli procedures will be in vain, and the uprising will continue in the occupied West Bank, Jerusalem, the Gaza Strip and the 1948 occupied territories.

Mohammed’s murder led to outbreaks of violence across the region and contributed to the outbreak of the Israel-Gaza war on July 6.

Attorney Asher Ohayon had claimed his client is psychologically unfit for trial.

Separately, a court procedure mandates that a social worker examine the minors to ensure there are no mitigating circumstances, a standard procedure in cases relating to minors, before the court issues a formal conviction.

Haifa University legal expert Emanuel Gross said the late insanity plea was “unbecoming behavior”, though the trial was still fair.

Israel has a mandatory life sentence for adults convicted of murder.

BBC reports a third suspect, 40-year-old Hussam Qawasmeh, was captured while attempting to flee to Jordan.

‘Israel has said it is suspending contact with European Union officials involved in peace efforts with the Palestinians. They have not been identified by the court.

Ayman Odeh, a Palestinian citizen of Israel who sits in the Israeli parliament as head of the Joint List, said, “The state is sending a clear message of forgiveness and understanding when it comes to Jewish terror”.

A lawyer for the Abu Khdeir family, Mohannad Jabara, said the presentation of a psychiatric evaluation was a delaying tactic.

Mr Corb said: “When we try to claim that we are better than our enemies – and I think that we are better than them – we should look at this event as a mirror”. Nightly clashes between Palestinian residents and Israeli police continued for weeks.

Palestinians on the other hand welcomed the EU’s decision hoping that it will inflict economic damages to Israel.