Israeli youth binds, beats wounded Palestinian: army probe

A group of Israeli youth bound and beat a Palestinian, who was shot in a clash between Israeli settlers and Palestinians last week, an army probe has revealed, Xinhua reported.

Israel Defense Forces (IDF) officers have confiscated the Yitzhar settlement's security team's weapons, and police have opened an investigation into the violent events surrounding what settlers said were repeated provocations by Palestinians, including arson on May 26.

Palestinian sources said Najah a-Safadi, 22, who was said to be armed with a knife, was hit in the stomach, sustaining moderate wounds.

According to the IDF's report, teenagers from Yitzhar then bound and beat a-Safadi until soldiers ran them off, the Ha'aretz daily reported.

The army's probe said that security officials operated against standing orders in their response to the stonings and fires, in the incident, as well as a similar clash on May 19.

"The findings are that due to the way the shots were fired, they didn't pose an immediate threat to life, as can be seen from the fact that they shot in the air," a senior officer told the newspaper, adding that, "For this reason it is more appropriate that the police investigate the incident."

Video footage of the event, filmed on May 26 by human rights organization B'Tselem, caught the violent events which transpired on a hillside between Yitzhar, and the residents of the nearby village of Asira al-Qibliya.

In the video, smoke from grass fires set between the village and settlement rises, as several dozen Israelis from Yitzhar are seen descending the slope towards the village.

Both sides blamed the other for setting fires, although Yitzhar residents contended that the incident was the third time in as many weeks that Palestinian arsonists had ignited grass fires meant to harass their Jewish neighbors, according to Israel National News.

Mutual stone throwing begins, and, after an indeterminate period, the crack of gunfire is heard, and several apparently injured Palestinians are then seen being carried away by colleagues.

IDF soldiers summoned to the scene are seen trying to keep the two groups apart.

"This incident is viewed as extremely severe and is currently being investigated by the IDF," the IDF spokesman's unit said in a statement sent to Xinhua.

According to B'Tzelem, "The video footage raises grave suspicions that the soldiers present did not act to prevent the settlers from throwing stones and firing live ammunition at the Palestinians. The soldiers did not try to remove the settlers and in fact are seen standing by settlers while they are shooting and stone throwing."