Israeli medics left man bleeding to death thinking he was Arab

Israeli paramedics left a wounded asylum seeker bleeding for 18 minutes without treatment because he thought he was Arab, video footage has revealed.

Eritrean Habtom Zerhom was shot by Israeli police at a bus station in Beersheba, northern Israel, on 19 October last year. Police said they thought he was planning to carry out an attack against Israeli commuters.

The video shows Israeli paramedics arriving on the scene of the incident eight minutes after the attack but they did not approach Zerhom thinking he was an Arab.

After 16 minutes, a policeman approached Zerhom in order to search his body; paramedics were then allowed to evacuate him.

During that time, bystanders verbally and physically abused him, kicked him with their foot, hit him with a chair in the face and rammed a bench on his head as he was bleeding.

Zerhom later died of his injuries.

Footage of the abuse Zerhom suffered can be seen here, some viewer may find the video disturbing.

WARNING: Some viewer may find the video disturbing.