PALESTINIANS have said they were shot by Israeli soldiers then forced onto car bonnets and driven at speed along village roads following a military operation in the West Bank.
Two men have said they were subjected to the terrifying ordeal after an Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) operation in Jabariyat, on the outskirts of Jenin in the West Bank, last Saturday.
It comes after footage of 23-year-old Mujahid Abadi Balas clinging to the bonnet of what appears to be the same Israeli army jeep sparked international outrage, the BBC reports.
Samir Dabaya, 23, now hospitalised in Jenin, said he was shot in the back by Israeli forces during the raid, and lay face-down and bleeding for hours, before he was assessed by soldiers.
READ MORE: How Labour tried to gag The National with £30k legal threat ahead of General Election
He claimed that when the soldiers realised he was alive he was beaten with a gun and then picked up and thrown onto the bonnet of an army jeep.
Samir told the BBC: “They took off my [trousers]. I wanted to hold onto the car, but [one soldier] hit my face and told me not to. Then he started driving. I was waiting for death.”
The broadcaster said it was shown security camera footage which appeared to confirm his account but which did not have the date or time visible.
Another Palestinian man, Hesham Isleit, also told the BBC he was shot twice during the operation in Jabariyat and forced onto the same military jeep, marked with the number one.
He said that during the raid he was shot in the leg as he tried to run away.
Hesham said: “They ordered us to stand up, and undressed us, then they asked us to get onto the front of the jeep.”
He told how the car was so hot that it felt “like fire”.
READ MORE: John Swinney calls out BBC Scotland host over 'stigmatising' question
He added: “I was barefoot and undressed. I tried to put my hand on the jeep and I couldn’t, it was burning hot. I was telling them it was very hot, and they were forcing me to get on – telling me that if I didn’t want to die, I should do it.”
In response to the original video of Mujahid Abadi Balas’s treatment last week, the Israeli army said that he was tied to the jeep in “a violation of orders and procedures” and that his case would be investigated.
In a statement the IDF said: “The conduct of the forces in the video of the incident does not conform to the values of the IDF.”
Mujadid told the BBC: “Once they confirmed that I had nothing on me [no weapon], they came down from the jeep and started beating me on the face, the head, and the sites of my injuries.
READ MORE: Polling suggests a fight between Labour and Tories for second place here
“The soldiers picked me up by my wrists and ankles, and [swung me] right and left, before throwing me in the air.”
He says he fell to the ground, was picked up and swung again, before being thrown onto the jeep, and driven to a nearby house.
The army said it was in Jabariyat last weekend to arrest wanted suspects, and that during the operation “terrorists opened fire at troops, who responded with live fire”.
Hesham said the house that he and Mujahid were in that day belonged to Majd al-Azmi, a neighbour and friend, who was arrested during the operation and remains in Israeli custody.
All three men say they were unarmed, and all were quickly released by the army after identity checks.
Shai Parnes, a spokesperson for the Israeli human rights organisation Btselem said violence against Palestinians in the West Bank by Israeli soldiers and settlers has reached record levels since the October 7 Hamas attacks.
He said: “It’s more radicalised, it’s more brutalised, it’s more extreme.
“Since October 7, more than 500 Palestinians have been killed – more than 100 of them minors – and every day there are invasions of Palestinian cities.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here