Israeli Troops Accused of Abusing Palestinian Detainees in Disturbing Videos
Multiple videos have surfaced on social media showing Israeli soldiers mistreating bound and blindfolded Palestinian detainees. The footage, initially discovered on the social media platform X and reviewed by NBC News, depicts Palestinian detainees lying naked on the ground. In one video, a man is kicked in the stomach while kneeling and then spat on.
The most shocking scene shows soldiers surrounding a group of blindfolded Palestinian men with their hands tied behind their backs. Most of the detainees are shirtless or completely naked. An Israeli soldier is seen stomping on the head of a Palestinian man who is on his back, his bound hands covering his face. The man cries out for his mother in Arabic before being dragged away, screaming.
Another man with a Palestinian accent repeatedly wails in Arabic, saying, “God, I can’t handle this.”
Although much of the dialogue in the video is inaudible, two phrases in Hebrew can be heard: “Anyone who shouldn’t be here, please leave,” and “Pick him up, move there.”
The soldiers in the footage appear to be wearing uniforms consistent with the Israel Defense Forces attire. In response to inquiries about the videos, the IDF issued statements condemning the conduct of the troops. They acknowledged being aware of at least two incidents shown in the footage and stated that disciplinary actions would be taken.
NBC News was unable to independently verify the locations and dates of the videos. The circumstances surrounding the videos and the events leading up to and following them remain unknown.
However, The Times of Israel published a story describing a set of images and videos, including the footage reviewed by NBC News, that allegedly show Israeli soldiers mistreating Palestinian detainees in the occupied West Bank. Ynet, an Israeli news outlet, reported that the incident involving the naked detainees was filmed near the Gaza Strip.
The release of the footage has drawn renewed attention to the conduct of Israel’s military. The graphic video showing a bound man being kicked only shows the assailant’s foot and leg, but the attacker’s reflection can be seen in the hood of a nearby car, suggesting that he is wearing a uniform.
The assailant is heard speaking in Hebrew, then Arabic, then Hebrew again, using derogatory language and spitting on the helpless man.
Another video shows a bound and blindfolded Palestinian man with blood on his head and arm. He is lying on his side in the dirt with his pants at his ankles, while other detained Palestinian men nearby remain fully clothed and do not appear to be injured.
Israel is a signatory to the Geneva Conventions, which prohibit humiliating and degrading treatment of detainees and require them to be treated humanely.
The release of these videos could further escalate tensions in the region, especially in the occupied West Bank, where the incidents in the footage may have occurred. Arrests of Palestinians and violence between Israeli settlers and Palestinian residents have increased since Hamas’ terrorist attacks on Israel and subsequent Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip. The Palestinian Prisoners Club reported that the IDF has detained 1,830 Palestinians in the West Bank since the start of the Israel-Hamas war.
The IDF stated that it has been conducting counterterrorism activities in the West Bank based on intelligence information and confirmed the arrest of 38 people on Tuesday night. However, NBC News has not been able to independently verify these numbers.
According to the Palestinian Authority Health Ministry, 136 Palestinians have been killed and 1,940 wounded in the West Bank as a result of IDF and settler attacks since October 7.
It is important to note that clashes in the area have been an ongoing issue and are not solely attributed to the current conflict. Prior to the Israel-Hamas war, violence in the West Bank was at its highest level in nearly two decades, according to the United Nations.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com.
