A former Israeli soldier has been sentenced to 45 days in prison for the killing of a Palestinian mother and her daughter, after avoiding manslaughter charges.

The ex-soldier, named only as S, reached a plea bargain reducing his charges to the illegal use of a weapon. The Israeli military stated that the bargain was reached ''following a mediation process and upon examination of the evidence with the recommendation of the military court''.

The soldier was accused of killing Raya Abu Hajaj, 64, and her daughter Majda, 37, whilst they waved white flags during Operation Cast Lead in 2008-09. According to reports, both women were amongst a group of 30 people, which included children, taking shelter in a house.

At the time of the indictment, the Israeli military stated that there was evidence the soldier had,

"deliberately targeted an individual walking with a group of people waving a white flag without being ordered or authorised to do so".

Majed Abu Hajaj, son and brother of the victims, said,

“I was shocked in the beginning from the statement of the court since the soldier killed two harmless women holding a white flag in one hand and a child in the other. It seems as though none of what they were holding could have prevented them from being killed.”

“This statement killed them once again because of its injustice. The Israeli soldier who killed them is supposed to have got a life sentence.”

The case is one of the many reports of Israeli soldiers firing at Palestinian civilians during Operation Cast Lead, where approximately 1,400 Palestinians and 13 Israelis were killed.