Taysir Hayb, a former sergeant in the Israeli army, was sentenced after being convicted last month following a long campaign by Mr Hurndall's family.

Amnesty International UK Director Kate Allen said:

"While we are relieved that the person responsible for Tom Hurndall’s death has finally been brought to justice, it is striking that this was almost entirely due to tireless campaigning by his family and international pressure that this created.

"The strong suspicion is that if Mr Hurndall's family had not shown utter determination to uncover the truth of their son's death, then no-one would ever have faced justice for what happened to Tom.

"Taysir Hayb's conviction and sentence stand in stark contrast to the blanket impunity that shields virtually all of Israel's security forces from effective investigation and punishment."

Since the beginning of the current Palestinian uprising (intifada) in September 2000, more than 3,200 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces, most of them unarmed and including more than 600 Children's rights.

During the same period, nearly 1,000 Israelis have also been killed by Palestinian armed groups, more than 650 of them civilians including 113 Children's rights.

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