Soldiers attacked by settlers hurling stones at Palestinians, five arrested

The Israel Defense Forces says a group of settlers assaulted soldiers who attempted to stop them from hurling stones at Palestinian vehicles in the West Bank earlier today.

According to the IDF, troops were dispatched to the scene near the town of al-Mughayyir after receiving a report of stones being hurled at Palestinian-owned cars.

“When forces arrived at the scene, they identified a number of suspects, some of them masked, hurling stones at a Palestinian truck,” the IDF says.

The IDF says the troops fired into the air, but the suspects refused to disperse.

בעקבות פיגוע האבנים בכביש אלון: תושבים יצאו למחות – והותקפו בידי חיילי צה"ל שדרכו לעברם נשק ויידו לעברם אבנים pic.twitter.com/RlX1A0beBT

— מנדי ריזל (@mendi_rizel) February 28, 2023

The troops then used tear gas against the group, and in response, one suspect kicked a soldier and maced a police officer with pepper spray, according to the IDF.

He was detained along with four other suspects, and handed over to police for further questioning.

The incident comes amid a series of violent incidents by settlers against Israeli troops in the West Bank, and following major riots in the Palestinian town of Huwara.