Incident In Jenin: Controversial Tactics Amid Rising Tensions In The West Bank

The Israeli military sparked outrage on Saturday by strapping an injured Palestinian man to the hood of a military vehicle during an operation in the occupied West Bank. 

Video footage captured the man lying across the front of an Israeli jeep as it drove through a neighborhood in Jenin. He appeared slumped on the hood as the vehicle passed by Palestinian Red Crescent (PRCS) ambulances.

According to the PRCS, the Israeli military initially prevented its crews from administering first aid to the injured man in the Jabarat area of Jenin. “They then placed the injured person on the front of a military jeep and detained him before later allowing our crews to transfer him to the hospital,” stated the PRCS.

The man's identity and condition remain unknown.

In response to inquiries about the incident, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) acknowledged on Saturday that its forces had violated “orders and standard operating procedures.” An investigation has been initiated.

“The conduct of the forces in the video does not conform to the values of the IDF. The incident will be investigated and dealt with accordingly,” the IDF said in a statement.

The IDF explained that the incident occurred on Saturday morning during counterterrorism operations to apprehend suspects in the Wadi Burqin area west of Jenin. The man, identified as a suspect, was reportedly injured and apprehended following an exchange of fire. He was then transferred to the Red Crescent for medical treatment.

Violence has surged in the occupied West Bank since the start of Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, which began in October after unprecedented and deadly attacks on Israel by the militant group. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), more than 500 Palestinians, including over 100 children, have been killed in the West Bank since October 7.

The UN agency reports that almost three-quarters of these fatalities occurred during operations by Israeli forces. In addition to military raids, there has been an increase in violence perpetrated by Israeli settlers against Palestinians.

Over 700,000 Jewish settlers live in the West Bank and East Jerusalem in settlements considered illegal under international law. These settlements are widely seen as a major obstacle to achieving a two-state solution.

In response to escalating tensions, the Biden administration imposed sanctions last Friday on the Israeli group Tzav 9 for disrupting humanitarian convoys headed to Gaza. This move is the latest in a series of punitive measures targeting those responsible for violence in the West Bank.