Supreme Court Justice Slams Police in Case of Man Killed by Soldier

The Israeli Supreme Court on Monday heard a petition filed by the family of Yuval Kastelman, who was killed in November 2023, against the State Prosecutor's Office. The family is demanding a criminal investigation into the police officers who handled the scene of Kastelman's death, alleging obstruction of justice.

Kastelman was killed by reserve soldier Aviad Frijah after neutralizing terrorists during an attack in Jerusalem. Frijah shot Kastelman despite the latter having surrendered, throwing down his weapon and jacket.

During the hearing, Supreme Court Justice David Mintz sharply criticized the police, stating, "What we are saying is difficult, I do not usually say this. There is negligence here, criminal negligence, and difficult unprofessional conduct." However, Mintz clarified that legally, there was no sufficient gap to justify the Supreme Court intervening in the Prosecutor's decision to close the case against the officers.

The court recommended that the Kastelman family withdraw their petition. The family is reportedly consulting on their next steps. The family's petition claims the police possessed exculpatory evidence early on but closed the case without examining it, quickly releasing Kastelman's body for burial. This alleged oversight necessitated the family later agreeing to exhume the body for an autopsy.

Frijah himself has been charged with a lesser degree of manslaughter.