JERUSALEM – An Israeli soldier is on trial for allegedly shooting a 13-year-old Palestinian (search) girl repeatedly to make sure she was dead.
Soldiers fired at the girl in October as she approached a military post in the Gaza strip (search). They say they thought she was planting a bomb. Her parents say the girl was on her way to school.
A five-count indictment says the officer approached the girl after she was shot and fired two rounds into her from close range. The outlawed practice is called "verifying the kill."
The indictment charges he then walked away and then turned around and shot her again.
A military prosecutor says the officer "had absolutely no reason" to shoot the girl again. The prosecutor says the officer also tried to get some of his soldiers to lie about the case.
A defense lawyer says the girl was mounting "a terrorist attack."
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