A soldier shot dead a civilian Monday morning after mistakenly suspecting that he was a terrorist. The victim was initially evacuated in critical condition to Meir Hospital in Kfar Saba, where the doctors pronounced him dead. Another man was injured, apparently from a ricochet in his leg as a result of the shooting, and his condition is light to moderate.
The report about the shooting was received by 101 emergencies at 7:17 AM. MDA EMTs and paramedics rushed to the scene and evacuated both victims.
According to police, the deceased––a resident of Pardes Hana, some 25 miles away––was armed with a knife and was suspected of being a terrorist after he advanced threateningly toward the bus stop. It’s not clear if he attacked another person, and what made the soldier think he was a terrorist and shoot him. No one was stabbed in the incident.
The police clarified that a terrorist attack was ruled out, and defined the victim as someone “in need of professional diagnosis.” The investigation will remain for the time being with the police and not be transferred to the IDF military police.
