Israel pardons soldier who shot wounded Palestinian
Israeli President Isaac Herzog has decided to pardon soldier Elor Azaria, who shot and killed a wounded Palestinian in the city of Hebron approximately ten years ago. The incident occurred when Azaria fired at Palestinian youth Abdul Fattah al-Sharif, who was lying on the ground injured, leading to widespread divisions within Israeli society and resulting in a military trial that convicted Azaria of performing a deadly act. The pardon decision was made based on a recommendation from Defense Minister Yisrael Katz, citing the passage of time and the approach of Yom Kippur, along with Azaria expressing remorse in his recent plea, despite affirming in his first interview after release that he would act the same way again. The decision drew criticism from the Chief of Staff of the IDF, while it was welcomed by right-wing factions and groups linked to hardline councils. However, it was broadly rejected by human rights organizations and Palestinian groups, which considered the punishment to be excessively lenient given the severity of the crime.
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