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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)
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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.

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UN Peacekeepers Say Troops Attacked by Individuals in South Lebanon

A joint force from UNIFIL and the Lebanese army in Naqoura near the Israeli border (Archive - AFP)
A joint force from UNIFIL and the Lebanese army in Naqoura near the Israeli border (Archive - AFP)
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UN Peacekeepers Say Troops Attacked by Individuals in South Lebanon

A joint force from UNIFIL and the Lebanese army in Naqoura near the Israeli border (Archive - AFP)
A joint force from UNIFIL and the Lebanese army in Naqoura near the Israeli border (Archive - AFP)

United Nations peacekeepers said rock-throwing individuals confronted them during a patrol on Tuesday in south Lebanon, calling repeated targeting of their troops "unacceptable".

The UN Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL), deployed since 1978 to separate Lebanon and Israel, sits on a five-member committee to supervise the ceasefire between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah.

In a statement, UNIFIL said peacekeepers conducting "a planned patrol" coordinated with the Lebanese army were "confronted by a group of individuals in civilian clothing in the vicinity of Hallusiyat al-Tahta, in southern Lebanon".

"The group attempted to obstruct the patrol using aggressive means, including throwing stones at the peacekeepers," the statement read, adding that "one peacekeeper was struck" but no injuries were reported, AFP reported.

The situation was defused when the Lebanese army intervened, allowing the peacekeeping force to continue its patrol.

"It is unacceptable that UNIFIL peacekeepers continue to be targeted," the statement added.

UNIFIL spokesman Andrea Tenenti told AFP a Finnish soldier was slapped during the confrontation.

A witness, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation, said an altercation ensued between locals and the Lebanese army, who were searching for the man who slapped the peacekeeper.

One man opposing the army was injured and hospitalized, the witness said.

In a statement, Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said he "strongly condemns the repeated attacks" on UNIFIL forces and called for the attackers to be stopped and held accountable.

There have been several confrontations between people in south Lebanon, where Hezbollah holds sway, and UN peacekeepers in recent weeks.

Confrontations are typically defused by the Lebanese army and rarely escalate.

In December 2022, an Irish peacekeeper was killed in a shooting at a UN armoured vehicle in the south. Hezbollah surrendered a man accused of the crime, but he was released around a year later.

The November ceasefire agreement, which sought to end over a year of hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah, states that only Lebanese troops and UN peacekeepers may be deployed in the country's south.

Israel is supposed to have fully withdrawn its troops from Lebanon according to the deal, but has remained in five positions it deems strategic and has repeatedly bombed the country.