ZAKA volunteer in court over keeping Hamas weapons found from Oct. 7 massacre
His lawyer empathized, "this is a guy who spent two months in Be’eri, collecting bodies and body parts with his own hands."
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![The IDF has found Hamas weapons left behind, as well as hundreds of documents and certificates have been recovered, alongside an array of mobile devices, communication tools, and cameras in southern Israel](https://cdn.i24news.tv/uploads/70/fa/2c/93/91/60/cc/2b/11/61/7a/a5/57/0b/52/59/70fa2c939160cc2b11617aa5570b5259.jpg?width=1000)
A volunteer from the ZAKA body retrieval service is facing legal consequences after admitting to taking a burnt-out RPG launcher and other defunct weapons as souvenirs from the aftermath of the devastating events on October 7 in Kibbutz Be’eri.
The volunteer, who had spent two months collecting bodies and body parts in the aftermath of the destructive incident, was arrested by the police on Sunday.
Authorities accused him of illicitly taking firearms from the scene, sparking controversy over the nature of his actions.
Appearing at the Petah Tikva Magistrate’s Court on Monday, the ZAKA volunteer confessed to wrongdoing, expressing that he "didn't think it through." Despite his admission, the volunteer's lawyer, Menasheh Salton, argued that the offense was an act of imprudence rather than a criminal act of theft involving deadly firearms. Salton emphasized the volunteer's 12 years of dedicated service with ZAKA and his clean criminal record.
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Salton emphasized, "This is a guy who spent two months in Be’eri, collecting bodies and body parts with his own hands."
![IDF Spokesperson](https://cdn.i24news.tv/uploads/84/62/66/3a/8b/e5/6b/11/1a/d7/59/bc/54/48/3d/32/8462663a8be56b111ad759bc54483d32.jpg?width=750)
Presiding judge Limor Heled-Ron acknowledged the unique circumstances surrounding the case. She agreed that the condition of the charred equipment, including the RPG launcher, could hardly be classified as functional weaponry at the time it was taken.
Judge Heled-Ron suggested that any offense committed was likely on the lower end of the scale.
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