West Bank Security Chief Indicted for Shooting Palestinian Woman
Translated & summarized from Ynet by baba
Jerusalem prosecutors indicted West Bank security coordinator Pinhas Shem Tov Ran for intentionally causing grievous bodily harm and obstructing justice after he allegedly shot at a Palestinian couple's car, injuring the woman. The incident occurred on September 18 when Ran entered the Palestinian village of Aqrabah outside his jurisdiction and fired at a vehicle that did not stop. Ran claimed the car attempted to ram him and an accompanying officer. His family is prominent in the settlement movement, and his brother was killed on October 7. The indictment followed warnings to Ran from the military about exceeding his authority.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- West Bank security coordinator Pinhas Shem Tov Ran indicted for shooting Palestinian woman.
- Ran allegedly fired at a Palestinian couple's car in Aqrabah village outside his jurisdiction.
- The woman sustained serious injuries from the gunfire, requiring hospitalization and surgery.
- Ran claimed the vehicle attempted to ram him and an IDF officer.
- The military had previously warned Ran about exceeding his authority and open-fire rules.
- Ran's brother was killed fighting terrorists on October 7.
Jerusalem District Prosecution filed an indictment Friday against Pinhas Shem Tov Ran, a security coordinator for the Gid'onim Ridge in the Samaria region, on charges of grievous bodily harm and obstruction of justice. The case was under a gag order until the indictment was filed Friday morning. According to the indictment, Ran entered the Palestinian village of Aqrabah, outside his jurisdiction, conducted unauthorized ID checks, and opened fire on a vehicle carrying a couple after the driver refused to stop. The indictment states that prior to the incident, military officials had held several clarifying discussions with Ran regarding unusual events and warned him not to exceed his designated area of responsibility or deviate from open-fire regulations.
On September 18, Ran left his home in Givot Olam in a Ranger all-terrain vehicle, armed with an Arad assault rifle, accompanied by a permanent service soldier. During the drive, he decided to deviate from his route and enter the village of Aqrabah. There, he spotted a Mazda vehicle with the couple inside and ordered the driver to stop. The indictment alleges the driver, fearing harm after noticing one of the occupants in the Ranger was masked, continued driving. In response, Ran drew his weapon and fired at least three shots at the departing vehicle, intending to hit it and its occupants. Two bullets struck the woman, one penetrating her chest and lodging near her heart. She was hospitalized, underwent surgery to remove the bullets, and required several days of hospitalization.
Ran claimed that at the time of the incident for which he was arrested, he was with an IDF officer on duty. According to his account, while driving near the village, a vehicle without license plates appeared, which he claimed sped towards them in what they perceived as an attempted ramming. Both claimed to have felt immediate mortal danger and had to jump aside to escape being hit. Ran stated that after they managed to escape, he fired into the air to make the vehicle stop, but it quickly fled into the village.
Ran's younger brother, Major Or Yosef (Urosh) Ran, fell on October 7 during the battle for Kibbutz Kfar Aza, fighting terrorists, saving lives, and assisting in the evacuation of residents. The Ran family is well-known in the settlement movement, with his father Avri noted for his past activities in establishing outposts. Following Ran's arrest, security coordinators from the Samaria Regional Council protested and demonstrated in front of the Kirya in Tel Aviv. His wife sent a letter to the Defense Minister protesting his detention conditions.
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