Security Coordinator Charged in Shooting of Palestinian Vehicle
Translated & summarized from Mignews by baba
The Jerusalem District Prosecutor's Office indicted Pinchas Shem Tov Ran, a security coordinator in Samaria, for aggravated assault and obstruction of justice after he allegedly shot at a Palestinian car, wounding a woman. Ran claims self-defense, stating the car threatened to run him over. His family is well-known in the settlement movement, and colleagues protested his arrest demanding his release.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Security coordinator Pinchas Shem Tov Ran indicted for shooting at a Palestinian car, wounding a woman.
- Ran is accused of aggravated assault and obstruction of justice in Samaria.
- The defense claims the shooting was self-defense against a car that threatened to run him over.
- Ran's family is prominent in the settlement movement; his brother died on October 7.
- Colleagues protested at the Defense Ministry demanding Ran's release.
The Jerusalem District Prosecutor's Office has filed an indictment against Pinchas Shem Tov Ran, the security coordinator for the Gidonim Ridge area in Samaria. Ran is accused of aggravated assault and obstruction of justice. The court lifted a gag order on the case after the prosecution's official request.
Investigators determined that Ran, armed with an IDF "Arad" assault rifle, left his home at the Givat-Olam outpost in an all-terrain vehicle with a career soldier. He entered the Palestinian village of Akraba, exceeding his designated area of responsibility, and began checking residents' documents without authorization. The military had previously warned Ran about similar incidents and prohibited him from leaving his zone.
Ran attempted to stop a car carrying a couple. The driver, fearing an attack after seeing a masked passenger in Ran's vehicle, accelerated away. Ran then fired at least three shots at the departing car, hitting the woman inside twice. One bullet lodged near her heart, requiring emergency surgery.
After the shooting, Ran proceeded to a scheduled meeting and later returned to the scene to search for shell casings, attempting to hinder the investigation. When questioned by security forces, he initially denied being in the village. A joint investigation by the Judea and Samaria police and the Shin Bet security agency led to his arrest, the seizure of his weapon, and his vehicle.
The prosecution requested Ran's remand be extended until the trial's conclusion. Ran pleaded not guilty to intentional assault, with his defense claiming the car threatened to run him over, justifying his shots as self-defense fired into the air. Ran's family is prominent in the settlement movement; his brother died defending Kibbutz Kfar Aza on October 7, and his father was a founder of early regional outposts. Colleagues protested at the Defense Ministry in Tel Aviv, demanding his release.
