Israeli civilians assaulted security forces and vandalized military vehicles and a security installation outside an army base overnight in the occupied West Bank, the military said on Monday.
According to Israeli media, settlers targeted the commander of the Binyamin Regional Brigade base in the central West Bank, calling him a "traitor."
The officer was among troops attacked on Friday night as they tried to stop settlers entering a closed military zone near the Palestinian village of Kafr Malik, following a settler attack that killed at least three Palestinians.
Six civilians were arrested following clashes.
"Dozens of Israeli civilians gathered at the entrance" of the brigade's base on Sunday evening, the military said in a statement.
"The gathering became violent, and some of the civilians at the scene attacked the security forces, sprayed pepper spray at them, and vandalized military vehicles," it added.
"The IDF (military), police, and border guards intervened to disperse the gathering," the statement added, noting one Israeli citizen was injured in the confrontation.
In another statement a few hours later, the army said that "Israeli civilians set fire to and vandalized a security site containing systems that contribute to thwarting terrorist attacks" near the base.
Various coalition government leaders condemned the incident.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement that "No law-abiding country can tolerate acts of violence and anarchy such as the burning of a military facility".
He demanded a swift investigation and prosecution of the perpetrators.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz called a meeting of all security agencies Monday to discuss the incident, his office said in a statement.
Praising Israeli soldiers' dedication since the start of the war in Gaza in October 2023, he said the government "will not allow any violent fringe group to harm them."
Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich condemned the incident as "unacceptable" in a statement on X while praising settlements in the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967.
"Such events are unacceptable... and those responsible must be brought to justice," he wrote.
Several human rights NGOs have denounced the rise in violence committed by West Bank settlers and their perceived impunity.
Violence has escalated in the West Bank since the start of the Gaza war, triggered by the attack by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas on Israel on October 7, 2023.
AFP
Comments