‘Hasty’ Jewish Guard Blamed in Girl’s Death

An army inquiry found today that a Jewish guard accidentally shot and killed a teen-age settler during a stoning attack by Palestinians on the occupied West Bank.

But the report blamed Arab residents of Beita for the April 6 confrontation in which two Palestinians and the young Jewish woman were killed and the guard was seriously wounded.

A senior military spokesman told reporters that villagers had “been planning to attack Jewish settlers” for days before the clash with the Jewish hikers in Beita.

The confrontation stirred strong emotions in Israel. It pitted Jewish settlers against the army after leaks from the military investigation said 15-year-old Tirza Porat was killed with the guard’s gun.

It came as the Israelis have been trying to put down a Palestinian uprising against their occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Today’s report criticized hike organizers, saying they were negligent in failing to coordinate their activities with the army. It also said the wounded guard, 26-year-old Romam Aldubi, had been “hasty” and “negligent in operating the weapons, ignoring common-sense precautions, and (showing) over-hastiness in pulling the trigger.”