Israeli troops have a habit of shooting innocent Palestinian civilians, including children as young as three, then claiming that they were a threat, or that they were misidentified as justification for their actions. This is usually horseshit, as most people are killed by sniper fire, which implies that they were shot from a distance, and also that they were being watched through a high-powered scope. How you can’t recognise a three-year-old child through a rifle scope is beyond me.

Anyway, thanks to the dogged pursuit of the truth by the family of a murdered British peace activist, an Israeli soldier has received an eight year jail term for the crime.

Mr Hurndall said the Israelis had initially admitted someone had been shot, but claimed it had been a gunman who had opened fire first.

After photographs of Tom having been shot in the head emerged, the Israeli military later admitted that Hayb – a sentry who had won prizes for marksmanship – had shot him using telescopic sights.

“They just lied continuously,” Mr Hurndall’s father said. “It was a case of them shooting civilians and then making up a story. And they were not used to being challenged.”,1),
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There had been a “general policy” for soldiers to be able to shoot civilians in that area without fear of reprisals, he added.