Parents Condemn Israeli Military Investigation Of Child’s Death
The parents of a Palestinian toddler killed by an Israeli soldier say the military’s investigation into his death “makes a mockery of our son’s blood.”
Mohammed Tamimi, two, was shot in the head, and his father Haitham was injured in the occupied West Bank on 1 June.
The military’s report blames a mix-up for a soldier firing at their car.
It says he thought he was shooting at gunmen and that the confusion was caused by another soldier firing in the air in violation of regulations.
Haitham Tamimi says “We, as the parents of Mohammed, consider that the army’s statement makes a mockery of our son’s blood, belittles the scale of the soldiers’ crime and confirms that there is no force that deters them from killing us.” Reports said.
He said that he hoped to take his son’s case to international courts in the future and that he was working with the Israeli human rights group Yesh Din and other organisations.
“I know that no one will punish the soldier who killed my son, but I want to expose them so that the suffering that happened to us won’t happen to another family,” Mr Tamimi said.
The Israeli military published the results of its investigation into the incident in the village of Nabi Saleh on Wednesday.
The report repeated the military’s previous assertion that two Palestinian gunmen had fired at a Jewish settlement and an Israeli military post close to Nabi Saleh.
An army officer arrived at the scene and began searching the area, it said. He then saw a “suspicious vehicle” and fired several times into the air in violation of orders.
This prompted a soldier stationed at the guard post who heard the shots to open fire on the Tamimis’ car outside their home, according to the report. He believed the gunmen were using it to flee and had received permission from his commander.
A military helicopter was used to transport Mohammed Tamimi to an Israeli hospital, but he died of his injuries four days later.
His father was treated for a gunshot injury to the shoulder in Ramallah but was discharged just in time to visit his son before his death.
Mohammed Tamimi was the youngest child killed as a result of the Israel-Palestinian conflict this year.
The Israeli military investigation found fault with commanders for miscommunication and “incorrect decision-making” and said that the officer who fired in the air would be reprimanded for violating orders.
BBC/ Shakirat Sadiq
