Israel court convicts Palestinian accused of murdering Israeli man in 2015 

An Israeli Military Court convicted a Palestinian prisoner for the death of an Israeli settler near the illegal Israeli colonial settlement of Shvut Rachel in a drive-by shooting in 2015, reported The Times of Israel. 

Moaz Hamed was accused of intentionally causing the death of Malachy Rosenfeld, 25, including an attempted murder of Israeli soldiers.

The charges against Moaz claim he was operating a cell for Hamas “with the aim of carrying out attacks against Israeli targets and planned, together with other members of the unit, to carry out a shooting attack.”

It added that he had attempted to commit a shooting attack against Israeli security forces” and was sentenced to one year in prison.

Moreover, Rosenfeld’s three friends, who all lived in the illegal settlement of Kochav Hashahar, were also wounded in the attack.

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Moaz was arrested by the Palestinian Authority (PA) in July 2015 following the attack and remained in PA custody up to April this year when he escaped, according to the Shin Bet security agency.

However, he was arrested again by the Israeli Occupation Forces on 13 April in the West Bank town of Silwad. His sentencing trial is scheduled to begin on 4 January.

Data from the Israeli Human Rights movement, Peace Now, indicates that there are about 666,000 settlers, 145 large settlements and 140 unauthorised outposts (unlicensed by the Israeli government) in the Occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

International law considers the West Bank and East Jerusalem Occupied Territory, and all settlements and outposts there are illegal.