Video allegedly shows settlers beating Israeli activist

An Israeli-Palestinian human rights group has released a video which appears to show West Bank settlers beating an Israeli activist who works for the group.

The video shows footage reportedly taken Saturday near the village of Khirbet Shuweika in the South Hebron Hills, where Palestinian herders were being escorted to their farmlands by Ta’ayush activists. According to Ta’ayush, a joint Arab-Jewish rights group, local farmers have been repeatedly harassed by settlers in the area.

Ta’ayush said approximately 15 settlers – some of which are seen in the video, their faces covered – approached the group and began hurling rocks at them. The footage then shows a number of men knocking the Ta’ayush activist to the ground, kicking him and hitting him with a stick.

The veracity of the video could not be independently verified.

Ta’ayush said that IDF soldiers were present at the scene during the attack, but did not detain any of the settlers. According to Palestinian news agency Ma’an the settlers were from the nearby Eshtemoa outpost.

The rights group said the activist was badly bruised but did not require hospitalization. A complaint was lodged with police in Kiryat Arba.