Supreme Court Justice Slams Police in Fatal Shooting Case

The Israeli Supreme Court heard a petition Monday from the family of Yuval Kastelman, who was killed in a shooting incident, against the State Prosecutor's Office regarding the closure of the case against the involved police officers. Supreme Court Justice David Mintz sharply criticized the police's conduct, calling it "criminal negligence" and "grossly unprofessional behavior." However, Mintz stated that the court found no sufficient discrepancy to warrant judicial intervention.

"What we are saying is difficult, I don't usually say this. There is negligence here, criminal negligence, and difficult unprofessional conduct, but there is no gap that requires court intervention," Mintz said during the hearing. Following the judges' stance, the court recommended that the Kastelman family withdraw their petition.

The family is currently deliberating whether to accept the recommendation or pursue the case further. The petition was filed as part of the family's struggle, led by Yuval's father Moshe Kastelman, to investigate the police's handling of the incident. The family alleges that the serious event was not investigated promptly and that the police closed the case without examining all available evidence.

According to information presented by the family, a video documenting the incident shows a soldier shooting Yuval even after he raised his hands, discarded his weapon, and pleaded for his life. The family claims this video reached the police early on but did not lead to a full investigation. Despite the video's gravity, the police released Yuval's body for burial, and the family later had to agree to an exhumation for further examination, which they view as another injustice stemming from the initial handling of the event.