Israeli police cleared in incident in which Palestinian boy lost eye

During the incident, police were responding to riots with non-lethal weapons and were attacked by a group of stone throwers.

By Associated Press

Israeli authorities have cleared police of any wrongdoing in the case of a 9-year-old boy, Malik Eissa, who lost an eye during an incident in which police were conducting an arrest operation in the neighborhood of Issawiya, an Arab-controlled area of Jerusalem.

During the incident, police were responding to riots with non-lethal weapons and were attacked by a group of stone throwers.

Israeli authorities indicated that medical experts could not determine whether the boy had been struck by a sponge-tipped bullet or a stone. They said, however, that the investigations unit ordered a review of operational conduct, including its use of sponge-tipped bullets in civilian areas.

In a statement sent to The Associated Press on Saturday, the Israeli Justice Ministry said its unit for internal police investigations concluded that while the incident was “sad,” there were insufficient grounds for prosecution after interviewing witnesses and reviewing video footage and other evidence.

According to Eissa’s father, the boy suffers from constant headaches and psychological problems and has not returned to school because of repeated surgeries and embarrassment about his appearance.

Issawiya has been the site of frequent rioting by the area’s Arab population and police raids.

During these incidents, local youths throw stones and firebombs at patrol vehicles.