IDF probes video appearing to show soldier beating Palestinian, alongside settlers

Footage circulating online Saturday appeared to show an Israeli soldier beating a Palestinian in the West Bank village of Idna, with the Israel Defense Forces saying they were probing the incident.

A video published to social media showed the soldier alongside two Israeli settlers hitting the man, who was thrown to the ground.

The military said that troops were dispatched to Idna following a “confrontation” between Israelis and Palestinians in the village.

The official Palestinian news agency WAFA appeared to report on the same confrontation, saying settlers had attacked Palestinians near a mosque in Idna. According to the outlet, settlers physically assaulted locals near the mosque and fired bullets in the air, allegedly while being protected by Israeli troops.

Soldiers reportedly detained seven Palestinians during the incident, using live ammunition, stun grenades and tear gas to force them out of the mosque.

WAFA also reported that settlers had pitched a tent in the town’s al-Jalatiya neighborhood, bringing with them a flock of sheep and vandalizing a Palestinian vehicle.

مستوطنون وجنود إسرائيليون يعتدون على فلسطيني بعنف ويحاصرون مصلين داخل مسجد شرق بلدة إذنا غرب الخليل. pic.twitter.com/Y6eZrSFKAQ

— Tamer | تامر (@tamerqdh) August 8, 2026

“The incident and the conduct of the forces are under review,” the IDF said.

The confrontation was one of several violent attacks reported across the West Bank over the weekend, in which several Palestinians were injured, including one with a bullet wound, according to Palestinian media reports.

Six additional Palestinians were wounded in the Wadi Rahim area of the South Hebron Hills, WAFA reported, citing a local activist. He said settlers arrived in the area from the nearby settlement of Susya and opened fire on Palestinians, injuring one.

Five others sustained injuries after being beaten by the settlers.

WAFA also reported that settlers raided the village of Beit Dajan, east of Nablus, late Friday night, assaulting and moderately injuring three Palestinians on the outskirts of the town.

On Saturday morning, settlers raided the neighboring town of Beit Furik, injuring another two Palestinians, the outlet added.

Further south, WAFA reported that settlers raided a Palestinian home near Bethlehem, smashing its windows and vandalizing the property.

Extremist settler attacks regularly take place on Friday nights and Saturdays, during Shabbat, the Jewish day of rest, despite many of the alleged perpetrators being religious.

Arrests in cases of settler violence are rare, and convictions are even less common.

According to numerous eyewitness reports and testimonies collected by the Breaking the Silence organization from soldiers who served in the West Bank, soldiers frequently protect — and sometimes actively assist — settler perpetrators of such attacks.

In contrast, the IDF frequently arrests Palestinians who are involved in violent confrontations with settlers.