Hebron shooter deemed unstable

JERUSALEM, Feb. 26 (JTA) — Psychiatrists examining an Israeli soldier who opened fire Jan. 1 on Palestinians in the Hebron market have concluded that he was mentally unstable at the time. The panel of three psychiatrists was appointed by a court to determine whether Noam Friedman is capable to stand trial in connection with the incident, in which six Palestinians were wounded. The panel of three psychiatrists concluded that Friedman was not in control of his actions at the time and that he still requires hospitalization. The panel is scheduled to submit its findings to the military court where Friedman was charged in the shooting. Friedman, a religious Jew, said after his arrest that he had felt compelled to stop the Hebron redeployment from being carried out. Israel and the Palestinian Authority formally signed the Hebron agreement Jan. 17, the same day that Israeli troops redeployed from 80 percent of the West Bank town. Off-duty at the time of the attack, Friedman had not been posted to serve in Hebron.