The Jerusalem District Attorney’s Office filed an indictment Friday against Pinchas Shem Tov Ran, a security coordinator from Itamar and veteran IDF reservist, following a shooting incident in the Arab village of Aqraba in Shomron that left an 18-year-old Arab woman seriously injured.

Ran, whose younger brother, Major Or Yosef Ran, Hy”d, was killed fighting Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023, faces serious violent offenses and obstruction of justice charges. Prosecutors have requested that he remain in custody until the conclusion of the legal proceedings.

According to the indictment, Ran entered Aqraba, outside his designated area of responsibility, in a Ranger utility vehicle accompanied by a career IDF soldier. Prosecutors allege that he conducted unauthorized identity checks before opening fire with an Arad assault rifle at a vehicle carrying an Arab couple after the driver failed to stop.

Two bullets struck the woman in her upper body, leaving her seriously injured. She underwent surgery and remained hospitalized for several days.

However, Ran disputes the prosecution’s account, maintaining that he acted after believing he and the soldier accompanying him were facing an attempted ramming attack.

According to his version, a vehicle without license plates suddenly approached them at high speed, forcing both men to jump aside to avoid being struck. Ran maintains that he subsequently fired warning shots into the air in an attempt to stop the vehicle, which continued driving toward the village.

The indictment follows a joint investigation by the Israel Police’s Yehuda and Shomron District Central Unit and the Shin Bet.

Ran has an extensive military background, having served in the Paratroopers Brigade before continuing as a reservist in Battalion 697 of Brigade 551. Since the outbreak of the war, he has accumulated more than 600 days of reserve duty, participating in operations in Gaza, southern Lebanon, and Yehuda and Shomron.

His younger brother, Major Or Yosef Ran, Hy”d, a commander in the elite Duvdevan Unit, fell in battle while defending Kibbutz Kfar Aza during the October 7 massacre. Despite the devastating loss, Pinchas continued volunteering for military service.

Several senior officers submitted letters to the court describing Ran’s dedication, professionalism, and conduct throughout years of military service.

Major Dr. Limon Adam, who fought alongside Ran in Gaza and Lebanon, described him as a soldier known for his professionalism and personal responsibility.

“Pinchas exemplifies professionalism, seriousness, personal responsibility, and humanity,” Adam wrote.

He also recalled Ran’s determination to remain with his fellow soldiers even after learning of his brother’s death.

“When he learned that his brother, the late Or Ran, had fallen in battle in Kfar Aza, he refused to leave his fellow unit members.”

Lieutenant Colonel (res.) Tzach Eckstein, Ran’s former battalion commander, also submitted a letter emphasizing his continued service despite the family’s loss.

“Pinchas continued volunteering for reserve duty and reporting for repeated rounds of combat in Lebanon and Gaza. Time and again, he chose to continue shouldering the burden and even volunteered beyond what was required,” Eckstein wrote.

Ran has received several military commendations, including recognition as an outstanding community security coordinator by the commander of the Samaria Brigade.

The court will now consider the prosecution’s allegations alongside Ran’s account of the incident and the supporting testimony submitted on his behalf.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)