Israel’s Army Suspends Soldiers for Attacking Activists in Hebron

Israeli soldiers in Kafr Qaddum near Nablus on November 25, 2022. (EPA)
Israeli soldiers in Kafr Qaddum near Nablus on November 25, 2022. (EPA)
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Israel’s Army Suspends Soldiers for Attacking Activists in Hebron

Israeli soldiers in Kafr Qaddum near Nablus on November 25, 2022. (EPA)
Israeli soldiers in Kafr Qaddum near Nablus on November 25, 2022. (EPA)

The Israeli army on Friday suspended two soldiers who physically assaulted and taunted left-wing activists in Hebron.

It said in a statement that the incidents would be investigated by the commander of the Central Command, Maj. Gen. Yehuda Fuchs.

“The soldiers involved were suspended from operational activity until the end of the investigation,” the army added.

In footage shared by Breaking the Silence, a non-governmental organization that collects and publicizes mostly anonymous testimony by former Israeli soldiers about alleged human rights violations against Palestinians, soldiers can be seen confronting Palestinian and Israeli left-wing activists and assaulting them.

They also boasted about far-right lawmaker Itamar Ben Gvir, who is set to become Israel’s next national security minister - an expanded public security minister role.

“Ben Gvir is going to sort things out in this place,” one soldier said. “That’s it, you guys have lost … the fun is over,” he added.

Asked by the filming activist, “Why? Am I doing something illegal?” the soldier replies, “Everything you do is illegal. I am the law,” and orders the activist to step back.

In another footage, a soldier was seen knocking an activist to the ground and punching him.

The soldier was wearing a patch attached to the back of his military vest that read, “One shot. One kill. No remorse. I decide.”

The group of activists had traveled to Hebron to meet with local Palestinian families as an act of solidarity after Israelis visiting the city in an annual pilgrimage initiated clashes with them last week.

“We can already see the effects of Ben Gvir’s appointment on the ground,” read a subsequent statement issued by Breaking the Silence.

Military chief Aviv Kohavi condemned the soldiers’ actions, saying they were “extremely serious and contrary to the values of the Israeli army.”

“The regulations and procedures allow soldiers freedom of action to carry out their mission, but they are not allowed to use force unnecessarily and they are not allowed to act violently,” Kohavi said in a statement.

The army affirmed that patches other than those showing the logo of a military unit or an Israeli flag are against military regulations.



Syria President Vows those Involved in Church Attack will Face Justice

The attack was the first of its kind in the Syrian capital since Islamist-led forces toppled longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December - AFP
The attack was the first of its kind in the Syrian capital since Islamist-led forces toppled longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December - AFP
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Syria President Vows those Involved in Church Attack will Face Justice

The attack was the first of its kind in the Syrian capital since Islamist-led forces toppled longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December - AFP
The attack was the first of its kind in the Syrian capital since Islamist-led forces toppled longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December - AFP

Syrian interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa vowed Monday that those involved in a "heinous" suicide attack on a Damascus church a day earlier would face justice, calling for unity in the country.

The shooting and suicide bombing Sunday at the church in the working-class Dwelaa district of the Syrian capital killed 25 people and wounded 63, the health ministry said, raising an earlier toll of 22 killed.

The authorities said the attacker was affiliated with the Islamic State group.

"We promise... that we will work night and day, mobilising all our specialized security agencies, to capture all those who participated in and planned this heinous crime and to bring them to justice," Sharaa said in a statement, AFP reported.

The attack "reminds us of the importance of solidarity and unity of the government and the people in facing all that threatens our nation's security and stability", he added.

Condemnation has continued to pour in from the international community after the attack -- the first of its kind in the Syrian capital since the toppling of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in December.

It was also the first inside a church in Syria since the country's civil war erupted in 2011, according to a monitor, in a country where security remains one of the new authorities' greatest challenges.

Since the new authorities took power, the international community has repeatedly urged the government to protect minorities and ensure their participation in Syria's transition, particularly after sectarian violence in recent months.