Israeli man convicted for burning Palestinian child to death

An Israeli man was convicted on Tuesday for burning to death a Palestinian child in Jerusalem, as a court rejected his insanity plea for a crime that played a role in triggering the 2014 Gaza war.

Yosef Haim Ben-David organised the gruesome murder of 16-year old Mohammed Abu Khudair who was bludgeoned, strangled and burned alive with the help of two other Israeli assailants who were sentenced in February, one to life imprisonment and the other to a 21 year term.

All three assailants confessed to the act of terror which they committed on July 2, 2014.

Ben-David lodged an insanity plea in an attempt to flee punishment, after receiving psychological assessments, the court ruled he "fully understood his actions" and found him guilty. He will be sentenced on May 3.

Following Abu Khudair's killing, a seven-week Israeli attack took place in the Gaza Strip which began on July 8, 2014.

In the 50-day war, Israeli air strikes killed over 2,200 Palestinians - mostly civilians, including 504 children. On the Israeli side, 66 soldiers and six civilians were killed.