Israeli jailed over Gaza shooting

An Israeli soldier has been jailed for 18 months for shooting an unarmed Palestinian working on a roof in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.

A military court said the sergeant had acted immorally when he fired at the man as he climbed a ladder to fix an aerial in October 2003.

He was also convicted of obstruction of justice and making a false statement claiming he shot an armed Palestinian.

It is the harshest punishment handed to an Israeli soldier during the intifada.

The Israeli army believes that the Palestinian died as a result of the attack, but as there was no official verification from the Palestinian side, the soldier was not tried for murder.

Demotion

"The court decided to impose a severe and appropriate punishment on the soldier in light of the immoral nature of his actions, his breach of trust and the stain he has left on the [army's] image and its soldiers," the army said in a statement.

As well as the 18-month sentence, the court also demoted him to the rank of private.

The soldier, who has not been identified, is a member of the Israeli army's Bedouin reconnaissance unit - made up of Israeli citizens of Arab Bedouin origin.

Israeli and international human rights groups often accuse Israel of using excessive force against Palestinians in the occupied territories, and of being lax about prosecuting over killings.

The army says its troops work hard to avoid civilian casualties and blame Palestinian militants for operating in civilian areas.