The Israeli military announced that it has ended its probe into the killing of a 2-year-old Palestinian boy in the occupied West Bank without charging the officer who shot the toddler and his father.

In a rare admission of wrongdoing, the military said the 2-year-old boy was killed unintentionally when a soldier mistook him and his father for militants on the run.

No Criminal Charges or Further Discipline

The military said it would reprimand one of the officers involved in the incident, but there would be no criminal charges filed and no further discipline.

Rights Groups Claim Pattern of Impunity

Rights groups contend the Israeli military does too little to investigate and punish its soldiers for the killing of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, creating a pattern of impunity.

Outpouring of Grief and Anger

The death of the toddler, Mohammed al-Tamimi, after he was wounded by Israeli gunfire near his village of Nebi Saleh set off an outpouring of grief and anger.

His 44-year-old father, Haitham al-Tamimi, dismissed the Israeli military investigation as a “cover-up.” The results, he said, added insult to injury.

“Of course, we were not expecting justice, but this report feels to us like a crime on top of the original crime,” he said. “This is all they have to say when my son is killed in cold blood, when his life is cut off before I could discover what kind of person he’d become.”

The Confusing Scene

In announcing the results of the probe Tuesday, the Israeli military described a scene of considerable confusion following a suspected Palestinian shooting attack near a Jewish settlement.

Reprimand for Commander

The Israeli military said it reprimanded the commander who initially sparked the confusion by firing into the air against army orders. The officer was not demoted, but a reprimand remains on a soldier’s personal record and can affect chances of promotion. The other soldiers involved faced no disciplinary action.

Military Investigations and Claims of Wrongdoing

Recent military investigations – including into the high-profile deaths of prominent Palestinian-American Al Jazeera correspondent Shireen Abu Akleh and elderly Palestinian-American Omar Assad – did not result in criminal prosecutions. Israel says that it thoroughly investigates all claims of wrongdoing and does its best to prevent civilian deaths.

“I express my sorrow for the harm that was caused to civilians and the death of the toddler,” said Maj. Gen. Yehuda Fox, the commander overseeing the West Bank region. “We will continue to learn and improve.”

Fighting in the West Bank

Surging Israeli-Palestinian fighting in the occupied West Bank this year has killed 123 Palestinians in 2023 alone, according to a tally by The Associated Press. Nearly half of them are affiliated with militant groups, though the Israeli military says that number is much higher. Palestinian attacks on Israelis during the same period have killed 21 people.

The Israeli military said Wednesday that four soldiers who were lightly wounded in a Palestinian shooting attack in the northern West Bank the previous day were recovering well.