An Israeli soldier was videotaped shooting a bound Palestinian with a rubber bullet at point-blank range.
The Israeli human rights group B’Tselem released amateur footage Sunday showing the soldier posted outside the West Bank village of Nilin shooting a blindfolded Palestinian in the foot with a rubber bullet. An army medic attended to his injury.
The incident took place two weeks ago when Nilin, the scene of violent demonstrations against the construction nearby of the West Bank security fence, was under curfew.
In the footage, the Palestinian is seen being held up by an Israeli lieutenant-colonel before the shot goes off.
Military sources quoted the officer as saying that he ordered the soldier to cock his weapon within earshot of the Palestinian to discourage him from breaking the curfew. The soldier fired the rubber bullet after having apparently misunderstood the order.
The lieutenant-colonel is taking responsibility for the incident, the military sources said.
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