The trial continues in the case of IDF soldier Sgt. Elor Azariya, who shot and killed a wounded terrorist on the ground in Hebron on Purim. Sgt. Elor fired at the wounded terrorist shortly after he perpetrated a stabbing attack, wounding a soldier.

According to the testimony of a military police investigator during the trial in the Jaffe Military Court on Wednesday, 24 Iyar, Elor fired at the terrorist after he was down. He added that EMT Ofir Ochana, a resident of Kiryat Arba, is witnessed pushing the knife closer to the terrorist with his foot. According to the investigator, video footage reviewed in the case shows the knife was further away and was pushed significantly closer to the terrorist later on, Walla News reports.

The investigator, Ron Kenan explained to the court that Elor first stated he fired at the terrorist because he saw the knife near him about 90 minutes after the incident occurred. He told this to a senior battalion officer. A female paramedic from Kiryat Arba interviewed by Kenan said Elor was scared the terrorist would reach the knife. She was questioned ‘under warning’ and then explained “Elor said ‘he stabbed a friend of mine and deserves to die’”. Police gave Elor the opportunity to confront the witness to challenge the statements but he declined.

Kenan added that regarding Elor’s contention he feared the wounded terrorist was wearing a bomb belt, video footage they reviewed showed his outer garment was open and clearly, there was no bomb. He adds that shortly following the incident, Elor sent a text message to his dad reading “There was a terrorist attack. A friend was wounded and he killed the terrorist and wounded the second terrorist. I killed the second terrorist”.

Kenan adds that 17 soldiers were interviewed following the incident and the statements made by Elor before he fired were different than the statements after the fatal shooting. Investigators also confiscated footage from B’Tselem and reviewed it during the investigation along with other videos from the scene.

In one of the videos reviewed, they see Elor shaking hands with Ochana as well as local resident and activist Baruch Marzel. He adds that Ochana, who is well-known in the area, responding to many incidents and attacks, would only hand over his video footage after served with a court order.

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)