Video shows knife being ‘planted’ next to shot Hebron assailant

A video shown in a manslaughter trial against a soldier accused a shooting to death a wounded Palestinian assailant in Hebron in March shows a person kicking a knife toward the assailant’s body, in an apparent attempt to tamper with evidence.

According to Channel 2 news, which obtained the video, an ambulance at the scene rolls over the knife, which is not near the attacker, moving it slightly. At that point, an unseen person shoves the knife with his foot toward Abdel Fatal al-Sharif, who is lying on the ground bleeding after having been shot.

Sharif was one of two assailants who knifed an Israeli soldier in the divided West Bank city on March 24, moderately injuring him.

סרטון חדש מאירוע הירי בחברון: בועטים בסכין ומקרבים אותה לגופת המחבל
הקטע המלא >> https://t.co/IezuqAQ2gX pic.twitter.com/qLjHvwLbyu

— החדשות – N12 (@N12News) June 1, 2016

Some 30 seconds after the events depicted, soldier Elor Azariya fired a single round into Sharif’s head, killing him.

“You don’t need to be an expert to see that the knife was far away, and also notice that the terrorist’s shirt is half open — this is 30 seconds before he’s shot,” a prosecutor says, according to Channel 2.

The video will likely add fuel to claims made by Palestinians that Israeli soldiers have planted knives to frame so-called attackers, an allegation denied by Israel out of hand.