IDF suspends commander whose soldiers beat Palestinian detainees

The commanding officer of a group of soldiers charged with beating two Palestinian prisoners last month has been indicted with failure to prevent a crime, negligent assault and conduct unbecoming of an officer, the army says.

According to the military, the lieutenant “saw that his soldiers were acting very violently toward Palestinian prisoners, while they were handcuffed and blindfolded, and nevertheless failed to prevent them from continuing to strike the prisoners.”

The lieutenant is not suspected of having beaten the prisoners.

He has been suspended from his position, the army says.

The military says the lieutenant failed to “fulfill his duty and command responsibility as an officer and commander of the troops.”

The five soldiers allegedly involved in the abuse of the prisoners, which resulted in one of the Palestinian suspects being hospitalized for several days, were indicted on January 31.

— Judah Ari Gross