By Edmund Sanders, Los Angeles Times –
JERUSALEM — An Israeli soldier who was indicted two years ago in the fatal shooting of two Palestinian women during a 22-day military offensive in the Gaza Strip has agreed to a plea bargain in which he will serve 45 days in jail for illegal use of a weapon, Israeli Army Radio reported Sunday.
The soldier, who was not identified, could have faced up to 20 years in prison on the original manslaughter charge.
His case was one of a handful of criminal prosecutions — and one of the most serious — to arise from Israel’s conduct during the 2008-09 offensive against Hamas-controlled Gaza, an operation aimed at stopping militants from firing rockets into southern Israel.
The incident was among those mentioned in the United Nations’ Goldstone report, which accused Israel of deliberately targeting civilians during the conflict.
Majda abu Hajaj, 35, and her mother, Raya Salama abu Hajaj, 64, were killed as they fled fighting with a group of civilians carrying a white flag, witnesses at the time reported.
Israeli human rights groups viewed the case against the soldier as an acknowledgment by the military that at least one of its soldiers deliberately fired at civilians.
The soldier admitted during a preliminary investigation that he fired his weapon into the group without permission, hitting one of the people, according to Israeli news media. He said he first fired warning shots and feared militants might be hiding in the group.
His attorney later argued that there was no conclusive proof that his client killed either of the women.