The case has divided Israel, with defense officials criticizing the soldier's conduct and large segments of the Israeli public rallying behind him.

Sergeant Elor Azaria sat on a bench inside the courtroom as the proceedings began on Monday morning as his mother wrapped her arms around him to comfort him.

In the March incident, two Palestinians had been shot while carrying out a stabbing attack that wounded an Israeli soldier. A video later released by an Israeli rights group shows one of the attackers still alive and Azaria firing at his head.