Israel disciplines three military officers in death of detained Palestinian American

The Israeli military said it disciplined three military officers in connection to the death of a Palestinian American who was detained at the West Bank earlier this month, The Washington Post reported. 

In a statement on Monday, according to The Post, Israeli Defense Forces called the death of Omar Assad a result of “moral failure.” 

The military said two soldiers have been immediately removed from their positions and one is expected to be formally censured.

An internal army investigation revealed that Assad had suffered a heart attack that was brought on by being bound and gagged at a cold construction site.

“The investigation concluded that the incident was a grave and unfortunate event, resulting from a moral failure and poor decision-making on the part of the soldiers. One of the IDF’s core values—to protect human life—was violated,” the statement said, according to The Post.

Israeli soldiers stopped Assad, a Milwaukee grocery store owner, in Jiljilya, a Palestinian village where he grew up and moved to in 2010. He and his wife of 50 years relocated after spending the majority of their lives in the Midwest. 

He was found unresponsive on Jan. 12, and following his death, Assad’s family demanded an international investigation.

The Department of State previously asked Israeli counterparts for more “clarification” on Assad’s death, The Post noted.

“We appreciate the State Department’s condolences and consular support, but their calls for “clarification” and waiting for Israel’s own “investigation” are grossly inadequate,” Assad’s family said in a statement at the time.