Israel accuses TV network of staging boy’s death

A senior israeli official has accused a French television network of manipulating video footage to make Israel’s...

A senior israeli official has accused a French television network of manipulating video footage to make Israel’s army look responsible for the shooting death of a 12-year-old Palestinian boy during a gunbattle with militants seven years ago.

The claim goes further than an official army investigation into the incident and was denied by the network, France 2. The army probe said it was highly unlikely that Israeli troops shot the boy but did not rule out that possibility or make any accusations about the video.

The incident, which took place in the early days of the second Palestinian uprising against Israel, has become a recurring symbol for Palestinians who accuse Israeli troops of using excessive force.

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Aired by France 2 on September 30, 2000, the video showed a terrified Mohammed al-Dura and his father cowering in front of a wall during a furious exchange of gunfire between Israeli soldiers and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip.

The father gestured frantically to try to stop the shooting as the boy screamed in fright. The video then cut to a shot of the motionless boy slumped in his father’s lap. The report said the fatal bullet had come from nearby Israeli positions.

In the years since, some people have questioned the video’s accuracy.