Hebron shooter Elor Azaria expected to be released to house arrest this week

IDF soldier Elor Azaria, convicted of manslaughter in the fatal shooting of a disarmed and wounded Palestinian stabber last year, is expected to be released to house arrest in the coming days, reports in Hebrew-language media say.

For over a year, Azaria has been confined to base after being released from military house arrest shortly after the fatal shooting on March 24, 2106.

In February, Azaria was sentenced to 18 months in prison. However, both the defense team and the prosecution filed appeals on the case, with Azaria’s attorneys seeking to get the conviction overturned entirely and prosecutors trying to get the soldier a harsher punishment.

The two sides failed to reach a mediation deal, forcing the court to rule on the appeals. No date has yet been set for the court to render its decision in the divisive case, which has revealed deep rifts in Israeli society.

Azaria’s term of military service ends on Thursday, meaning that if a verdict is not reached by then, he will no longer be able to remain confined to a military base.

According to the Ynet news site, military prosecutors are not expected to request Azaria be incarcerated in a civilian prison, and therefore the judges will likely release him to house arrest.