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Israel PM backs pardon for soldier Israeli PM Netanyahu backs pardon for manslaughter soldier
(35 minutes later)
Israeli PM Netanyahu calls for pardon of soldier convicted of manslaughter for the killing of wounded Palestinian Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called for a soldier convicted of manslaughter for killing a wounded Palestinian to be pardoned.
This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version. Sgt Elor Azaria, 19 at the time, shot Abdul Fatah al-Sharif, 21, in the head while he was lying immobile on a road.
If you want to receive Breaking News alerts via email, or on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App then details on how to do so are available on this help page. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on Twitter to get the latest alerts. A military court convicted the soldier after dismissing his assertion that the Palestinian still posed a danger.
The case has divided Israeli opinion. Sgt Azaria will be sentenced next Sunday, Israel's military says.
There have been rallies to support the soldier, but top military figures say his actions do not reflect the values of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF).
Mr Netanyahu issued his call on Facebook: "I support giving Elor Azaria a pardon."
The prime minister also called on the public to support the IDF.
'No immediate threat'
In the incident on 24 March, Sharif and another 21-year-old Palestinian, Ramzi Aziz al-Qasrawi, stabbed and wounded an Israeli soldier before troops opened fire on them, wounding Sharif and killing Qasrawi.
Footage of the scene several minutes later, filmed by a Palestinian and released by the Israeli human rights group B'Tselem, shows Sharif alive, wounded and now unarmed.
A soldier, identified as Sgt Azaria, is then seen cocking his rifle and fatally shooting Sharif in the head from several metres away.
In their indictment, prosecutors said Sgt Azaria "violated the rules of engagement without operational justification as the terrorist was lying on the ground wounded and represented no immediate threat for the accused or others who were present".
Delivering the verdict on Wednesday, the panel of three military judges rejected Sgt Azaria's defence that he shot Sharif because he continued to pose a threat.
He had told the court that he believed there might be a suicide belt under the Palestinian's jacket.