Suspects in killing of Palestinian man in Lod released on bail

Three Israeli men suspected of the fatal shooting of a Palestinian in the city of Lod on Monday are to be released on bail, after a ruling from the Rishon Lezion Magistrate’s Court.

According to the Times of Israel, the three men will be released under "relatively lenient restrictive conditions", while a gagging order has been imposed to protect their identities. They will also have a restraining order banning them from Lod, known as Lydd to Palestinians, for several days.

The men argued they killed the Palestinian man in self-defence after violence broke out in the city in the wake of Israeli air strikes on Gaza.

The Palestinian news website Arab48 cited local sources as saying the man, named as protester Moussa Hassona, was shot by an Israeli ultra-nationalist, while the Israeli newspaper Haaretz blamed it on "armed Jewish residents defending against rioters".

Israeli police confirmed the fatality without further explanation.

Israel's public security minister, Amir Ohana, wrote on Twitter that whoever shot Hassona should not have been arrested and called for their release.

"The arrest of the shooter and his friends in Lod, who apparently acted in self-defence, is a terrible thing. Even if there are details the public isn't aware of yet, law-abiding citizens bearing arms increases the authorities' ability to prevent any threat or danger.

"Arrests and releases aren't for the minister to decide. If it were, they'd be released. The law enforcement system would do well to do that."