MIDDLE EAST: An Israeli soldier is expected to be charged with manslaughter following the death of a British peace activist, Mr Tom Hurndall, who was shot in the Gaza strip, Israeli military sources said yesterday.
Mr Hurndall died at the Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability in London, after being in a coma for nine months.
The 22-year-old was shot in the head as he was shepherding young children to safety in the town of Rafah on April 11th last year.
On Monday, an Israel Defence Forces soldier was indicted on six charges, including one of aggravated assault, over the incident. Israel military sources said yesterday that the prosecutor was considering amending the indictment to manslaughter following Mr Hurndall's death.
Mr Hurndall's mother, Mrs Jocelyn Hurndall, said her son's injuries meant that he was vulnerable to serious infection and he died of pneumonia on Tuesday evening.
His sister, Ms Sophie Hurndall, said the Israeli army had not been able to "cover up" the shooting because of pressure from her family. A family spokesman, Mr Carl Arrindell, said: "The family are absolutely determined to pursue this soldier. They want to make sure Tom's killer is prosecuted for murder and not for manslaughter.
"The family believes that, based on its own intensive investigation and the soldier's testimony, that he shot Tom using an advanced telescopic lens. It is improbable that the shot which entered Tom's forehead was intended to do anything other than kill."