IDF Court sentences 4 Palestinians for infamous rock throwing incident

JERUSALEM POST – The IDF announced on Thursday the sentencing of four out of five Palestinians convicted in one of the country’s most infamous rock throwing incidents which almost led to the death of Ziona Kala, wife of the famous singer Itzik Kala, during the November 2012 Gaza War.

The Judea Military Court handed down sentences of between seven years to eight and-a-half-years on Wednesday, but the decision was only announced Thursday.

Many rock throwing incidents result in no injury or minor injury, but the Ziona Kala incident was infamous because the Palestinians involved seriously harmed Kala by throwing large rocks at her moving vehicle while it was traveling on Route 375.

Kala was in intensive care for weeks after the attack before regaining consciousness.

Her husband told Channel 2 in December 2012 that when he first saw her in the hospital, “I didn’t believe she would live. Without a doubt, there was a moment I fell apart. I don’t remember when I cried like that,” he said.

The cell of Palestinians involved were arrested by the IDF in January 2013, and come from the village of Husan and the Bethlehem area.

Three of the four Palestinians: Ismail, Rahmah and Muhammed Hamamara were minors at the time of the incident and received slightly shorter sentences, while Abd Alhamid Hamarmara was an adult and received the longest sentence.

The IDF has announced that it will be appealing the verdict, since originally the IDF had pushed not just for convictions for rock throwing at a moving vehicle, but for more serious offenses like attempted murder.

Despite the conviction for rock throwing, the court acquitted the defendants on the more serious charges, resulting in more lenient sentences, which the IDF is also appealing.

A fifth Palestinian, Ali Hamarmara is still fighting the charges against him.