Dramatic new video footage has emerged from the scene of the shooting of a wounded terrorist in Hevron last March, which appears to show someone moving the terrorist’s knife closer to his body after he was killed.
The video, retrieved by IDF investigators, allegedly shows an ambulance driver kicking the knife towards the terrorist, who moments earlier had been killed by Sgt. Elor Azariya, current on trial for manslaughter.
According to the investigator, immediately after the terrorist was wounded following his attack on soldiers, an officer kicked his knife away to prevent him reaching it.
Not long after, Azariya arrived at the scene and shot the wounded terrorist in the head, in what prosecutors described as an execution but he insists was an act of self-defense, triggered by genuine fears that the terrorist still posed an imminent threat.
The new footage appears to show an attempt by the ambulance driver from nearby Kiryat Arba to alter the scene of the incident moments later, to make it appear as though the terrorist posed a threat at the moment Azariya shot him in the head.
Lead investigator Lt. Ran Keinen, told the court that “you don’t need to be an expert to see that the knife was far – and also, note that the terrorist’s shirt is partially open [indicating he had been searched for a bomb – ed.] – this is 30 seconds prior to the shooting.”
“After the shooting, the knife remained in place. Shortly afterwards, an ambulance arrived at the seen, knocked the knife and moved it towards the terrorist,” he continued. “The knife was apparently kicked towards the terrorist by an ambulance driver.”
His testimony follows that of the lead prosecutor in the case, who asserted that Elor Azariya had acted in a cold and calculated manner and killed the terrorist despite him posing no threat.
He recounted how, approximately a minute and a half after the shooting, he had texted his father to tell him he had killed the terrorist.
Azariya for his part insists he made a split second decision to eliminate the terrorist, fearing he was reaching for his knife or an explosive vest.
