Israel closes case against officers accused of killing Palestinian family: Report

The Israeli army is expected to dismiss a case against undercover Israeli special forces who shot to death two Palestinian children and their parents, despite not questioning the officers involved, i24 News reported.

In March, Israeli forces opened fire on 37-year-old Ali Bani Odeh's vehicle while he was driving in the northern West Bank town of Tammun, killing him, his wife Waad, 35, and Mohammad and Othman - aged five and seven respectively.

Only Mustafa, eight, and Khaled, 12, survived the attack, though they sustained shrapnel wounds to the face and head.

The soldiers prevented Palestinian ambulance crews from reaching the vehicle. After detaining the two children for over half an hour, they allowed them to approach the ambulance on the condition that they leave the area immediately after taking them.

According to a security source who spoke to i24News, an initial investigation claimed that the incident occurred when the forces spotted a vehicle speeding towards them, with officers opening fire after "sensing danger".

However, Heba Morayef, regional director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International, said at the time that the military has "failed to show that the family posed any threat when it was shot".

"This horrific incident is the latest in a pattern of increasing use of deadly force by Israeli forces against Palestinians and tragically we continue to see families and children paying the price," she said, expressing concern that information testimonies suggest the attack may amount to "extrajudicial execution".

The military makes near-identical statements after killing Palestinian civilians in the West Bank, often claiming that soldiers reacted to an attempted attack against them.

It rarely investigates the killing of Palestinians by its troops and has been criticised by rights groups for its "shoot-to-kill" policy even when Palestinians pose no danger to soldiers.

The report by the Israeli outlet indicates that while Israeli police opened an investigation into the incident, the officers who shot the family members were not questioned. 

It added that the investigation was completed over the past few days, and is expected to be closed by the Attorney General's office. 

Since 7 October 2023, Israeli forces and illegal settlers have killed at least 1,100 Palestinians in the West Bank. 

In Tammun specifically, home to around 15,000 Palestinians, raids are frequently conducted under the pretext of searching for so-called wanted individuals.