{
  "id": 8511516,
  "title": "Israeli president pardons soldier who killed wounded Palestinian in 2016 West Bank shooting",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/19/israeli-president-pardons-soldier-who-killed-wounded-palestinian-in",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-19T18:09:46.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Middle East Eye",
    "slug": "middle-east-eye",
    "url": "https://www.middleeasteye.net/live-blog/live-blog-update/israeli-president-pardons-soldier-who-killed-wounded-palestinian-2016"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "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.",
  "summary": "Israeli president pardons soldier who killed wounded Palestinian in 2016 West Bank shooting Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Saturday granted Defense Minister Israel Katz’s request to clear the criminal record of Elor Azaria, a former Israeli soldier convicted of killing wounded Palestinian Abdel Fattah al-Sharif in Hebron in 2016, according to Haaretz. Katz had written to Herzog in July asking…",
  "key_points": [
    "Israeli President Isaac Herzog pardoned Elor Azaria in 2024.",
    "Azaria killed wounded Palestinian in West Bank in 2016.",
    "Azaria served 9 months in prison before pardon."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Winnipeg Free Press",
        "title": "Israel’s president pardons a combat medic whose shooting of a Palestinian attacker caused debate",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/19/israels-president-pardons-a-combat-medic-whose-shooting-of-a",
        "published": "2026-09-19T18:42:58.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Jerusalem Post",
        "title": "IDF, Shin Bet arrest West Bank terrorists who started fire near Palestinian village",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/19/idf-shin-bet-arrest-west-bank-terrorists-who-started-fire-near",
        "published": "2026-09-19T20:08:40.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}