Israeli president pardons soldier who killed wounded Palestinian in 2016 West Bank shooting

Israeli President Isaac Herzog pardoned former soldier Elor Azaria on Saturday, clearing his criminal record for the 2016 incident in which Azaria killed a wounded Palestinian in the West Bank town of Hebron. The soldier's request for expungement was submitted by Defense Minister Israel Katz in July. Despite opposition from the Israeli army, which noted that Azaria had shown no remorse or accepted responsibility for his actions, Herzog expedited the process, effectively erasing the remaining period of Azaria's sentence.

Azaria served nine months in prison after his conviction in 2017, with the remainder of his sentence being reduced by the parole committee. In 2024, the Biden administration barred Azaria and his family from entering the United States, citing his involvement in what it described as a "gross violation of human rights" - an extrajudicial killing of a wounded Palestinian.