Israel ends probe into killing of Palestinian man

The Israeli regime has closed an investigation into the killing of a Palestinian protester in 2011, claiming it “did not involve any offence.”

Mustafa Tamimi was hit in the face with a tear gas canister fired at close range by an Israeli soldier in the occupied West Bank village of Nabi Saleh in December 2011.

On Thursday, the Israeli sources said “it was concluded that the shooting of the canister was done in accordance with the relevant rules and regulations, and did not involve any offence.”

In a statement issued later in the day, human rights group B’Tselem said, “The decision not to file an indictment against the soldier who killed Mustafa Tamimi, nor against his commanders, conveys the indifference of the military law enforcement system to the lives of Palestinians in the West Bank, and specifically towards Tamimi’s death.”

“This decision sends Israeli soldiers and officers the unequivocal message that, should they kill unarmed civilians, they will not be held accountable,” the rights group added.

Following Tamimi’s death, European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton voiced concern over the killing, urging the Israeli regime “to thoroughly investigate the incident.”

Ashton also expressed regret over “the disproportionate use of force under any circumstances.”

Israeli regime forces launch incursions into the West Bank on an almost daily basis. They regularly raid Palestinians’ houses in the occupied Palestinian territory, arresting activists and civilians, mostly without any charges.

According to Palestinian rights groups, over a dozen Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces in the first half of 2013. Israeli troops also seized nearly 1,800 Palestinians, including women and children, during the same period.