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Photo:
Israeli soldiers in the aftermath of a violent incident at a checkpoint between Bethlehem and Jerusalem, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, in November. Credit: Ammar Awad/Reuters Published by Haaretz

IDF operating in Tul Karm in the West Bank, on Tuesday. Credit: Jaafar Ashtiyeh/AFP Published by Haaretz
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The incident comes as the U.S. administration pushes Israel to crack down on extremist activities in the West Bank ■ IDF spokesperson: 'This was a serious incident which contravenes IDF values'

by Yaniv Kubovich for Haaretz
Nov 19, 2023

The IDF has suspended a soldier who was documented throwing a stun grenade at the door of a mosque in the village of Budrus, in the central West Bank. The video clip was posted and disseminated on social media.

The IDF spokesman said that “this was a serious incident which contravenes IDF values.”

He added that the soldier was suspended as soon as the army learned about the incident, and that he would be questioned and disciplined accordingly.

In recent days, senior U.S. officials have talked to their Israeli counterparts, warning that the West Bank could turn into another battlefront. They said that the West Bank is at a boiling point and that the Palestinian Authority could lose control over major cities.

The U.S. administration is worried about the accumulation of incidents in which right-wing extremists, coming mainly from illegal outposts, are seen attacking Palestinians. Such incidents receive wide coverage in Palestinian media outlets, bolstering support for Hamas and other terror organizations, according to the administration.

The administration also believes that a serious outbreak of violence in the West Bank will harm the legitimization and support Israel currently receives from the international community for continuing its war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

Last week, Haaretz reported that since the onset of the war, many soldiers have started documenting themselves beating and humiliating detained Palestinians, proceeding to disseminate their video clips on social media. This phenomenon was present before the war too, but has intensified significantly since the massacre carried out by Hamas in Israel’s southern communities.