JERUSALEM (JTA) — A deputy company commander was discharged from the Israeli army after his rifle discharged during a riot, killing a fellow soldier.
Staff-Sgt. Noam Adin Rechter Levy was killed during an operation in the West Bank Palestinian town of Bir Zeit on May 7.
The investigation, which included a ballistic analysis whose findings were released Wednesday, showed that Levi was killed by a bullet discharged by his deputy company commander while the latter was engaged in a physical struggle with a Palestinian rioter, according to a statement issued by a spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces.
During the operation, dozens of Palestinian residents rioted and attacked the force. In the subsequent struggle, the commander’s rifle apparently shifted, causing it to discharge, which mortally wounded Levi.
The investigation found that the force’s attempt to disperse the rioters was mishandled. In addition to the deputy company commander being dismissed and discharged from the army, the company commander was disciplined and removed from any command position for the next two years.
