Israeli soldier Elor Azaria, who was convicted in 2016 for killing an immobile wounded Palestinian man in the city of Hebron, was freed after serving only nine months in prison.

On Tuesday, upon his release, the former soldier in the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) was welcomed by members of his family and supporters holding banners that hailed him as a "hero".

Though he was supposed to be released on May 10, he was free two days earlier so he could attend his brother's wedding, Haaretz reported.

The convicted murderer was initially sentenced to 18 months in prison - after being found guilty of manslaughter and misconduct for "acting out of sense of vengeance" - but later had his jail term reduced to 14 months, according to The Jerusalem Post.

Azaria enjoyed the support of many Israelis, including the country's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Culture and Sports Minister Miri Regev, who believed that Azaria should have been pardoned for his criminal conduct.

