Two of the five Israeli soldiers accused of severely beating restrained Palestinian prisoners have reached a plea agreement with military prosecutors. They’ll be demoted in ranks and get six and a half months in jail.
The soldiers are the first of the five belonging to the ultra-Orthodox Netzah Yehuda Battalion to admit to beating a father and his teenage son who remain in Israeli custody without charges. Whilfe the plea agreement will help them avoid more serious charges of aggravated assault, they will still face six and a half months in prison and a demotion.
Negotiations are ongoing regarding charges against the remaining three soldiers whose detention has been extended until Wednesday. Two of the five are also being charged with obstruction of justice for attempting to collaborate their stories beforehand.
The Israeli soldiers were arrested on January 10, days after allegedly striking their Palestinian prisoners “with slaps, punches and bludgeons while they were handcuffed and blindfolded, causing them serious injuries,” the IDF said.
According to the indictment, the soldiers’ removed the teenager boy’s blindfold and forced him to watch his father being beaten. The father’s injuries were so severe he was unable to be interrogated and had to be hospitalized. The teenager also sustained serious heads wounds and significant swelling to his face.
A video of the incident revealed the soldiers joyfully laughing as the prisoners are being beaten while they cry out for help.
The two Palestinians were detained in a wave of arrests after a shooter killed two members of the IDF soldiers’ battalion in December. Prosecutors believe the beatings were motivated by revenge.
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