Israeli officer jailed for killing unarmed Palestinian

JERUSALEM

An Israeli policeman was slapped with a 9-month jail sentence on Wednesday for shooting and killing an unarmed Palestinian youth in 2014, according to local media.

Border police officer Ben Dery was convicted of shooting to death Nadim Nawara, a 17-year-old Palestinian, at the Beitunia checkpoint near the West Bank city of Ramallah, Israeli daily Haaretz reported.

The Jerusalem District Court also ordered the payment of 50,000 shekels (roughly $14,000) in compensation for Nawara’s family.

Wednesday’s verdict came under a plea agreement, under which the soldier was charged with causing death through negligence and causing severe bodily harm instead of manslaughter.

The shooting came during Palestinian rallies marking the anniversary of Israel's establishment -- an event Palestinians refer to as the "Nakba" or "Catastrophe".

Since March 30, at least 41 Palestinians have been killed and hundreds injured by Israeli gunfire during protests along Gaza border demanding the return of refugees to their towns and villages in historical Palestine from which they were driven in 1948 to make way for the new state of Israel.