An Israeli reservist soldier allegedly rammed his vehicle into a Palestinian man offering namaz on a roadside in West Bank. The video of the incident, which happened on Thursday, has gone viral on social media, showing the soldier ramming the vehicle into the Palestinian man.
The soldier was dressed in civilian clothes and was carrying a gun. After ramming his vehicle into the Palestinian man, the soldier yelled at him before going way. India TV Digital, however, cannot independently verify the veracity of the video.
Later, the Israeli military issued a statement said that the soldier acted "in severe violation of his authority" and his weapon has been confiscated. "Footage was received of an armed individual running over a Palestinian individual," the statement read.
Israeli media reports have claimed that the man was under house arrest and had opened fire on Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) inside a village. Meanwhile, the man was taken to a hospital but was released later as he did not suffer any injuries.
"The assailant is a known settler. He set up an outpost near the village, and with other settlers he comes to graze his livestock, blocks the road and provokes the residents," Majdi Abu Mokho, the father of the Palestinian man, told AFP.
Palestinian man kills two in northern Israel
In a similar incident, a Palestinian man rammed his car into a man and then stabbed a young woman in northern Israel on Friday, killing both of them. The attack, which also left a teenage boy injured, happened in Beit Shean.
This forced the IDF to launch an operation in West Bank. According to reports, the man was shot and injured in Afula, and was later taken to hospital. Israeli forces also blocked several roads around Qabatiya from where the attacker belonged.
In a statement, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said that he had ordered troops to "act forcefully and immediately" against what he called "terrorist infrastructure" in the town. "Anyone who aids or sponsors terrorism will pay the full price," he said.
