Israeli Civilian Killed by Soldier Amidst Palestinian Attack Sparks Criticism

Incident fuels debate over policy to increase number of armed civilians, as authorities investigate the 'mistaken' shooting.

Yuval Castleman, an Israeli man, was shot and killed by an Israeli soldier after he opened fire on Palestinian attackers at a Jerusalem bus stop.
Castleman's death has sparked criticism of excessive force by Israeli soldiers, police, and armed citizens against suspected Palestinian attackers.
The incident coincides with a drive by Israel’s national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, to increase the number of gun-toting civilians.
Israeli authorities are investigating the incident and initial findings showed one of the soldiers “mistakenly suspected” Castleman was an attacker.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu initially supported Ben-Gvir’s policy to increase access to weapons, even if it meant civilians like Castleman could be killed, but later called Castleman’s death a 'terrible tragedy.'