Israeli court orders house arrest for settlement security chief charged over Aqraba shooting

Right · 2An Israeli court ordered Pinhas Shem Tov (Hasi) Ran, 37, a civilian security coordinator for West Bank settlements, released to house arrest at an address in the Golan Heights, rejecting prosecutors' request that he be held in custody until the end of proceedings. 1 2 Right · 2Arab News described the court as the Jerusalem Magistrate's Court and dated the ruling Monday 26 October, while The Jerusalem Post called it the Jerusalem District Court and named the judge as Elad Persky. 1 2 Right · 2The reasons reported differ in emphasis: Arab News, citing Israeli media, said the court pointed to conflicting accounts of the shooting and a lack of video footage corroborating either version, while The Jerusalem Post said the judge cited Ran's lack of a criminal record and his military service, and found prosecutors had not identified a concrete risk that he would interfere with proceedings after the indictment. 1 2

Right · 2Ran was indicted on Friday on charges of causing serious injury with aggravated intent (reported by Arab News as intentionally causing grievous bodily harm) and obstruction of justice, over a shooting on 18 September in Aqraba, a Palestinian village near Nablus; the grievous harm charge carries a possible sentence of up to 20 years, according to Arab News. 2 1 Right · 2According to the indictment, Ran entered Aqraba outside his assigned area, after military officials had warned him following several unusual incidents to stay within his jurisdiction and follow rules on the use of firearms, and he stopped people and checked their ID cards without legal authority. 2 1 Right · 2Prosecutors say the driver of a car carrying a married couple drove off because he feared violence, having seen that the men with Ran were not soldiers and that one was masked; Ran then allegedly fired at least three shots at the departing car. 2 1

Right · 1The Jerusalem Post identified the woman as Aseel Bani Jaber and said one bullet entered her upper back and lodged in her lung near her heart while another struck near her buttock; she underwent surgery and spent several days in hospital. 2 Right · 2The indictment also alleges that Ran returned to the scene to search for cartridge cases and later denied to security officials that he had been present or heard of a shooting; Arab News reported that police and Shin Bet officials arrested him at his home on 11 October. 2 1 Right · 1Ran disputes the prosecution's account: according to Honenu, the legal aid organisation representing him, a vehicle without licence plates drove toward him and his companion in what they took to be an attempted ramming, they jumped aside, and he fired into the air to stop it. 2

Right · 1The defence submitted letters from commanders describing his reserve service, including his return to duty after his brother was killed on 7 October 2023; one former battalion commander said he was not addressing the allegations. Ran's lawyer, Nati Rom, welcomed the ruling and urged prosecutors to reconsider the case, and a preliminary hearing is set for 12 November. 2