Two IDF jeeps got stuck on Monday evening in the Palestinian Arab village of Beit Ummar, near Hebron. Dozens of Palestinian Arab rioters arrived at the scene and threw rocks and explosives at the soldiers, who responded with live fire and with riot dispersal means.
IDF forces rescued the soldiers and the vehicles. The Palestinian Arabs reported at least five wounded, one of them in serious condition. There were no injuries among the soldiers.
The IDF Spokesperson’s Unit said that two military jeeps that were on an operational patrol in the village of Beit Ummar got stuck in the village as a result of a technical malfunction.
“A disturbance developed in the area with the participation of dozens of rioters who threw rocks, threw improvised explosive devices and even shot at the forces who responded with measures to disperse demonstrations and live fire. Direct hits were detected.”
The statement added that “the jeeps were successfully rescued by IDF forces that entered the village. There were no injuries to our forces and minor damage was caused to the vehicles. The incident is being investigated.”
This past Friday, the IDF suspended a soldier from the Givati Brigade who was documented attacking a left-wing activist in Hebron, while a second soldier was documented saying, “Ben Gvir will restore order here.”
The incident occurred as left-wing activists were holding a "solidarity visit" with Palestinian Arab families living in Hebron. One of the soldiers was recorded knocking an activist to the ground and punching him in the face.
A second video shows another soldier confronting an activist and telling him, "Ben Gvir is going to restore order here, there's nothing you can do." According to eyewitnesses who were present at the scene, the soldier then shouted at the activist: "I don't like leftists. Get out of here."
The IDF condemned the incident and decided to suspend the two soldiers. In addition, the IDF opened an investigation into the incident, led by the head of Central Command, Major General Yehuda Fuchs.
The soldiers who were suspended claimed that, in the moments preceding the filmed confrontation, the activists were asked to leave the scene several times.
According to IDF sources, the soldiers involved in the incident claimed that a bus of haredi tourists had asked to take pictures with the soldiers and that shortly thereafter, a bus of activists had begun to provoke and attack the soldiers.
Honenu attorneys Adi Keidar and Moshe Polski, who are representing the IDF soldiers who were attacked, called to distance anarchist leftist activists from Hebron and its environs.
The attorneys said that the anarchists' activities disrupt the activities of security forces and encourage hostile enemy sources to carry out disruptions of order.