Herzog clears record of soldier convicted in 2016 Hebron killing

Presidential pardon granted

Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Saturday cleared the criminal record of Elor Azaria, a former soldier convicted of manslaughter for shooting a wounded Palestinian in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron in 2016—disregarding military objections that he has refused to express remorse for the killing. The decision followed a formal request submitted by Defense Minister Israel Katz in July to erase the record years after the incident, according to Israeli public broadcaster KAN.

Herzog's office stated that the pardon took into account "the time that had passed since the shooting and the fact that Azaria had completed his sentence," along with the circumstances faced by his family. The decision was designed to allow Azaria to "open a new chapter in his life," the office added, noting that it was not intended to cast doubt on the judicial proceedings.

The 2016 Hebron shooting

The case stems from March 24, 2016, when Azaria, then serving in the Israeli army, shot and killed Abdel Fattah al-Sharif in the Tel Rumeida area of Hebron while the Palestinian lay wounded on the ground. An Israeli military court convicted Azaria of manslaughter in January 2017 and sentenced him to 18 months in prison, though then-army chief Gadi Eisenkot subsequently reduced the term by four months.

Azaria was released from prison in May 2018 after serving approximately nine months. The Israeli army told KAN that the former soldier "refrained from expressing remorse and taking responsibility for his actions," underscoring the sharp divisions the case triggered at the time between senior military figures who defended the prosecution and politicians who demanded clemency.