Civil defense squad reportedly stopped IDF troops from arresting rioters at West Bank village

The civil defense squad from the West Bank settlement of Havat Gilad prevented soldiers from carrying out arrests when extremist settlers rampaged through the Palestinian village of Jit yesterday, a military source tells Army Radio.

The IDF did not dispatch the armed squad — made up of recently released reservist soldiers — to the incident, but they arrived anyway, Army Radio reports, citing two unnamed sources in the security establishment.

The report does not elaborate on how the armed squad prevented the arrests.

Furthermore, the report says the security camera footage shows the rioters arrived in nine vehicles from the settlement, and then returned there after rampaging through the village.

Earlier today, Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan told Kan radio that the rioters were mostly not from his area, and were not welcome, warning extremists to stay away.

Army Radio also reports that the IDF did not receive prior warning that such an incident was being planned from the Shin Bet or Israel Police, despite the security establishment having intelligence such a riot was being organized.

Additionally, an unnamed security official tells Army Radio that rumors the Jit riot came in response to an earlier Palestinian rock-throwing in the area were unfounded and that no such incident took place.

Later on in the night, a group of extremist settlers were prevented by police and IDF soldiers from entering the West Bank towns of Huwara and Burin, the report adds.

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פרטים חדשים על פרעות היהודים בכפר ג׳ית בשומרון אמש:

1. בצה״ל בודקים את האפשרות כי הפלסטיני שנהרג אמש – נפגע מירי של אנשי כיתת הכוננות של חוות גלעד, היישוב הסמוך לג׳ית. גורם צבאי טוען: ״אנשי כיתת הכוננות של חוות גלעד הפריעו ללוחמי צה״ל ומג״ב לבצע מעצרים… pic.twitter.com/UfUratvZKG

— דורון קדוש | Doron Kadosh (@Doron_Kadosh) August 16, 2024