A British activist has died after lying in a coma for nine months since being shot by an Israeli soldier while helping Palestinian civilians take cover during a clash in the Gaza Strip, his family said today.
The Israeli army arrested a soldier late last year over the shooting of activist Mr Tom Hurndall and charged him on Monday with grievous bodily harm. Security sources said that with his death the charges were likely to be upgraded to manslaughter.
A statement from the Israel Defence Forces said Mr Hurndall's death would be taken into account in the charges against the sniper.
"The death of Tom Hurndall will have repercussions on the criminal process against the soldier," it said in a statement issued in Jerusalem.
Mr Hurndall (22) died late on Tuesday in the London hospital where he had been lying clinically dead after being shot in the head by an Israeli army sniper on April 11 last year.
"Tom died last night just before 8 p.m.," his mother, Ms Jocelyn Hurndall, said in a statement. Mr Hurndall's sister, Sophie, said Tom had contracted pneumonia. She said his death was a relief for the family, who had seen him lying in a coma for nine months.
"But obviously there is great sadness, because it's a time when we have to finally accept that we're not going to have Tom back," she told BBC radio.
Palestinian leader Mr Yassser Arafat greeted the news of Hurndall's death with dismay and offered his condolences to the family, the Palestine news agency (WAFA) said.