IDF Court sentences 4 Palestinians for infamous rock throwing incident

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.

By YONAH JEREMY BOB
Updated: JUNE 21, 2015 02:42
Youth holds stone as Palestinians clash with IDF in the West Bank (photo credit: REUTERS)
Youth holds stone as Palestinians clash with IDF in the West Bank
(photo credit: REUTERS)
The IDF announced on Thursday the sentencing of four out of five Palestinians convicted of rock throwing that 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 and eight-and-a-half-years on Wednesday, but the decision was announced only on Thursday.
Many rock-throwing incidents result in no injury or minor injury, but the Ziona Kala incident was notable because the attackers seriously wounded Kala by throwing large rocks at her moving vehicle while it was traveling on Route 375.
Kala was in a coma in intensive care for weeks after the attack before regaining consciousness.
The Palestinian suspects were arrested by the IDF in January 2013, and come from the village of Husan in the Bethlehem area.
Three of the four Palestinians – Ismail, Rahmah and Muhammad 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 announced it would appeal the verdict, since it originally 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.