Israeli troops photographed beating unarmed Palestinian during 'routine check'
Israeli soldiers have been photographed brutally detaining a Palestinian man in Hebron on Tuesday. One of the five troops in the vicinity could be seen kicking the man, while another soldier pinned the Palestinian to the floor with his knee.
The incident took place near a Jewish neighborhood in Hebron, with the Israeli soldiers saying that the man was resisting arrest.
"During a routine security check, the Palestinian who was documented [in the photos] refused to be frisked. The forces had arrested the suspect. The troops' conduct is being looked into and the incident is being investigated,” the military said in a statement, as cited by Haaretz.
However, the photographs, which were shot as the detention was taking place, shows what seems to be unnecessary force being used by the Israeli soldiers. The Palestinian man was not wearing any shoes, and was dressed in a T-shirt and pants.
The troops, who were from the Nahal 50th battalion, surrounded the man with one of the soldiers pinning him to the ground with his knee.
Another photograph shows a soldier appearing to kick the man, who was unarmed, with either his foot or his knee.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) says it is investigating the incident, while “the conduct of the forces will be checked.” A spokesperson for the organization said that the deteriorating security situation around Hebron had led to increased checks being carried out in the area.
"In light of the situation following recent terror attacks in the city, and due to security considerations, it was decided to conduct searches in the area. During one such routine search, a Palestinian man deemed suspicious refused to be searched. Forces detained the suspect. The conduct of the forces will checked and the incident will be investigated,” the statement read, according to Ynet News.
The incident came less than 24 hours after Israeli troops shot and injured a 13-year-old Palestinian girl near the town of Qalqilya in the occupied West Bank.
The girl, who was carrying a bag, approached a security checkpoint and ignored warning shots for her to stop, which were fired by the Israeli soldiers. She was eventually shot in the leg. No weapons or explosives were discovered in the teenager’s bag by the Israeli forces, the ministry’s statement said.
During questioning, the girl said “I came here to die” to Israeli forces, the ministry said. She was then taken to a hospital. The Palestinian Health Ministry said she sustained moderate injuries.
On Tuesday, Israeli forces shot and killed a 16-year-old Palestinian after he stabbed soldiers at a checkpoint at a village west of Hebron.
Meanwhile, in an incident on Monday, two Palestinians were killed by Israeli troops near the Tomb of the Patriarchs, a holy site to both Muslims and Jews in Hebron.
There had been a relative lull in attacks by Palestinians against Israelis, which had peaked in October and November 2015.
During more than two months of unrest, Israeli security forces killed 105 Palestinians, 65 of whom were said to be attackers. Palestinian assailants killed 19 Israelis as well as one US citizen, Reuters reported.
