Israeli soldier set to face manslaughter charge
An Israeli soldier is expected to be charged with manslaughter following the death of British peace activist Tom Hurndall, who was shot in the Gaza strip, Israeli military sources said today.
Mr Hurndall died last night at the Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability in Putney, south-west London, after being in a coma for nine months.
The 22-year-old, whose family live in Tufnell Park, north London, was shot in the head as he was shepherding young children to safety in the town of Rafah on April 11 last year.
On Monday, an Israel Defence Forces soldier was indicted on six charges, including one of aggravated assault, over the incident.
Israel military sources said today that the prosecutor was considering amending the indictment to manslaughter following the activist’s death.
Mr Hurndall’s mother Jocelyn Hurndall confirmed in a statement today that her son had died last night shortly before 8pm.
His injuries meant that he was vulnerable to serious infection and his death came after he contracted pneumonia.
His sister Sophie said it was a shock he had survived so long and said she had a sense of relief he would not suffer any more.
But she said she was also obviously very sad.
“We have to finally accept we are not going to have Tom back,” she told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
Miss Hurndall said the Israeli army had not been able to cover up the shooting because of pressure from her family.
Family spokesman Carl Arrindell said: “The family are absolutely determined to pursue this soldier.
“They want to make sure Tom’s killer is prosecuted for murder and not for manslaughter.
“The family believes that, based on its own intensive investigation and the soldier’s testimony, that he shot Tom using an advanced telescopic lens, it is improbable that the shot which entered Tom’s forehead was intended to do anything other than kill.
“The family will be pressing its lawyers to ensure that the appropriate charge of murder is applied in this case.
“Tom’s family have made it clear that they will be satisfied with nothing less than the full prosecution for the person responsible for murdering Tom and they expect the imposition of the maximum penalty in this respect.
“They additionally expect that the harshest penalties should be imposed on all those involved in the obstruction of justice.”
The Israeli Army has said that the soldier initially maintained he had opened fire on a man armed with a pistol but later “admitted to firing in proximity to an unarmed civilian as a deterrent”.
It said the army viewed the matter with “utmost severity” and that an army tribunal had extended the soldier’s remand.
Mr Hurndall, who had studied at Manchester Metropolitan University, was working with the International Solidarity Movement, a pro-Palestinian group whose activists volunteer to serve as buffers between Israeli soldiers and Palestinians.
Witnesses said he was shot as he tried to help children out of the path of an Israeli tank.
He had been in a deep coma at the Royal Hospital for Neurodisability after suffering severe brain damage.
A spokesman for Manchester Metropolitan University, where Tom was in the first year of a photography course, said students and staff were “shocked and saddened” by his death.
He said: “Tom was a diligent and professional student.”
