From the Liveblog of
Monday, March 31, 2025
IDF punishes soldiers who vandalized Palestinian property during raid
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
The IDF has handed down punishments to several officers and troops for vandalizing Palestinian property, during an unwarranted search of a village in the southern West Bank over the weekend.
According to the IDF’s investigation of the incident, soldiers set out on the night between Friday and Saturday to search the Palestinian village of Jinba for weapons.
As part of the operation, the troops carried out searches inside “sensitive sites,” including a school and a medical clinic, without receiving the authorization to do so.
“During the activity, the forces vandalized and damaged equipment there, against orders and procedures, and in a way that does not match what is expected of IDF soldiers during operational activity, and against the IDF values,” the military says in a statement.
The troops did not report to their superiors on the unapproved search, and it was only revealed later from footage posted to social media.
During the night, occupation soldiers invaded the village of Jinba/ Masafer Yatta. They destroyed the school’s furniture, windows, the solar panels that supply the school with electricity, and the cameras that had documented the pogrome carried out by settlers the yesterday. pic.twitter.com/Vz52mTR0I6
— Basel Adra (@basel_adra) March 29, 2025
The investigation found that the battalion involved in the incident did not adequately prepare for the operation, and the regional brigade did not properly track the activities of the battalion.
The chief of the Central Command, Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth, describes the incident as “grave,” and “contrary to the level of professionalism and values expected of IDF soldiers during operational activities.”
The commander of the Judea Regional Brigade, Col. Shahar Barkai, was reprimanded over the incident; the battalion commander was censured and it will go on his permanent record; a company commander was dismissed from his role and jailed for a week; another company commander will be forced to stay on base for an extended period of time; and two soldiers involved in the vandalizing were jailed for a week.
Kan news reports this evening that IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir went to Jinba himself to investigate the incident.
The Times of Israel Community.