The probe into the actions of the soldier who shot a wounded terrorist dead in Hebron on Purim continues.

According to a Galei Tzahal (Army Radio) report released on Sunday, 17 Adar-II, prior to the actual attack the soldier was heard telling colleagues “If a terrorist stabs one of us he must die”. Another soldier in the unit tried to calm him.

After the same soldier verified the kill, firing at the head of the wounded terrorist who was on the ground, his platoon commander asked him why he fired. The report states he responded “One who stabs us must die”. The commander distanced the soldier from the scene and reported the incident to the battalion commander.

Defense attorney Eyal Besserglick responded to the report, telling Galei Tzahal host Tali Lipkin Shachak “There are shouts in the area and he [the terrorist] was still moving. There is a fear he has a bomb on him. In addition, moments earlier there was a stabbing attack. The man was wearing a coat on a hot day, adding to the suspicion he was concealing an explosive device. What do you expect? After the stabbing that soldier should die with his comrade and then we could cry over their deaths…There was no alternative to acting as he did for we would not have him or the other soldier he tried to save”.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)