Accusation: "Security Official" of "Itamar" Settlement Fires at Palestinian Young Woman, Seriously Injuring Her
The Israeli State Prosecutor's Office filed an indictment against Pinhas Shaim Tov Ran, the security coordinator of the Itamar settlement, for opening fire on a vehicle in the town of Aqraba, south of Nablus, seriously wounding a Palestinian young woman. The prosecution accuses him of returning to the scene to destroy evidence and has requested an extension of his detention.
The Israeli State Prosecutor's Office filed an indictment this morning against Pinhas Shaim Tov Ran, 37, the security coordinator of the Itamar settlement, for opening fire on a vehicle in the town of Aqraba, south of Nablus, seriously wounding a Palestinian young woman who was a passenger. The prosecution accuses Ran of returning to the scene to search for shell casings in order to destroy evidence and has requested an extension of his detention until the conclusion of legal proceedings. According to the indictment, the military had previously warned Ran several times about exceeding the boundaries of his assigned area and demanded he comply with rules of engagement. Despite this, he entered Aqraba last September, which is outside his area of responsibility. Ran stopped several passersby and checked their IDs without legal authority, then demanded a driver of a vehicle carrying a couple to stop. After the driver noticed that those in the SUV were not soldiers and one was masked, he feared violence, did not comply, and sped up. Ran drew his weapon and fired at least three rounds at the departing vehicle, intending to hit the vehicle and its occupants, with two bullets striking the vehicle and the woman sitting next to the driver. Ran enjoys support from settler gangs, as security coordinators organized two protests demanding his release. Last week, they blocked the Za'tara checkpoint with state-funded security vehicles, then proceeded in a protest convoy to the Ministry of Defense in Tel Aviv. The head of the Shomron Settlements Council, Yossi Dagan, protested Ran's arrest.