IDF Reserve Officer Accused of Shooting Palestinian Car Sent to House Arrest

A Jerusalem district court ordered Pinchas (Hassi) Ran, a reserve officer in the IDF and Rabbatz"tz of Gid'onim Ridge, to be moved to house arrest in the Golan Heights. Ran is accused of firing at a Palestinian vehicle, severely injuring a woman. The judge cited Ran's military service, lack of prior criminal record, and commendations from commanders as reasons for the decision, while rejecting the prosecution's concerns about obstructing justice. Ran, a reservist commando, a bereaved brother, and a father of three, was arrested following an incident near the village of Akarba. He claims the shots were fired into the air after a vehicle attempted to run him and another soldier down. An indictment was filed against Ran last Friday for aggravated assault and obstruction of justice. Judge Elad Persky noted the lack of objective evidence regarding the encounter between the vehicle and Ran's Ranger, acknowledging conflicting accounts. He emphasized Ran's clean record despite his security service in a volatile area, stating "His lack of any prior criminal record is noteworthy." The judge dismissed the prosecution's fears of obstruction, finding no concrete evidence of such risk after the indictment was filed. He concluded that the likelihood of Ran violating house arrest conditions and committing a similar act was "very low." In a rare move, the judge ordered house arrest even before a probation service report was received, considering all circumstances. Ran's attorney, Nati Rom of the "Honenu" organization, expressed satisfaction, stating the court found his client's self-defense claim to be stable and irrefutable. Rom criticized the prosecution for adopting the narrative of those who allegedly attacked Ran's security vehicle and urged them to reconsider their actions in the case.