Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has spoken out against any criticism of the Israeli Defense Force (IDF), despite the outrage over footage that emerged of an IDF soldier seemingly executing a prone and wounded Palestinian attacker.
“The soldiers of the IDF, our children, maintain high ethical values while courageously fighting against bloodthirsty murderers under difficult operational conditions. We must all support the IDF Chief-of-Staff, the IDF, and our soldiers, who safeguard our security,” Netanyahu said, as quoted by AP.
Netanyahu’s comments follow a lethal incident that took place in the West Bank city of Hebron on Thursday. Two Palestinians allegedly stabbed an Israeli soldier, injuring him. The Israeli military said the two were then shot and killed.
However, a video later released by the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem, revealed a more gruesome picture. It showed an alleged Palestinian stabber that had already been shot and detained lying on the ground.
Twenty-one-year-old Abdul Fatah al-Sharif appears to be alive as he slowly moves his head.
However, an Israeli fighter then raises his weapon and shoots the wounded Palestinian in the head almost point-blank without any apparent provocation.
READ MORE: Blood-chilling VIDEO: IDF soldier seen shooting injured ‘Palestinian attacker’
The Israeli soldier who fired the fatal shot was detained for committing a “grave breach” of the military’s values. He has argued, however, that he thought that the Palestinian was reaching for an explosive.
While the soldier’s actions came under fire, Netanyahu branded any criticism of the IDF as “outrageous and unacceptable,” saying the conduct of one soldier doesn’t reflect the military’s standards in general.