IDF probing troops’ beating of Palestinian in Hebron

The military said Wednesday it was investigating soldiers’ behavior during a Hebron arrest, after photos emerged of troops beating an unarmed Palestinian.

Pictures in the media showed troops kicking the man and hitting him on the head, then manhandling him to the ground before detaining him.

The army said an initial probe showed the man had refused an inspection by soldiers, who have increased their presence in the city following the recent uptick in attacks.

“The conduct of the force is being checked, and the incident is being reviewed,” a statement said.

The past week has seen a renewed surge in attacks, after months in which the violence that marked 2015 and early 2016 appeared to have waned. From Friday to Tuesday, Palestinian assailants carried out daily attacks on Israeli security forces in Jerusalem and the Hebron area, where Palestinians live in close proximity to settlers and Israeli troops.

Officials fear the upcoming Jewish holidays and the recently ended Muslim Eid al-Adha holiday could be behind the raised tensions.

On Wednesday morning security guards at a checkpoint in the northern West Bank shot and injured a 13-year-old Palestinian girl carrying a bag who did not heed their calls to halt, in what appears to have been a suicide attempt.

During an initial investigation of the incident, the teenager said, “I came to die,” according to the Defense Ministry.

Judah Ari Gross contributed to this report.