The IDF failed to act strongly enough against Israelis attacking the Palestinian village of Jit in the northern West Bank two weeks ago, an investigation conducted by the IDF found on Wednesday.
One Palestinian was shot and killed in the attack, and a large amount of property damage was caused. The investigation into the shooting remains ongoing.
How the attack happened
On the evening of Aug. 15, the Shin Bet (Israel’s internal security service) received information that Israeli citizens were preparing to carry out a terrorist attack near Yitzhar, a settlement in the northern West Bank.
A large number of IDF soldiers, Border Police officers, and police officers were deployed in the area to prevent the planned assault from occurring. Despite their efforts, about a hundred masked Israelis entered Jit, setting fire to vehicles and buildings, and throwing stones and Molotov cocktails throughout the village.
Within minutes after the attack began, Israeli forces rushed to the scene, but the first soldiers to arrive failed to understand how extreme the violence was. The soldiers tried to disperse the rioters but did not act strongly enough, the investigation found.
Minutes later, reserve soldiers and Border Police arrived at the scene and began pushing back the rioters, eventually managing to remove them from the village half an hour after the attack began. Border Police officers managed to stop an additional group of Israelis who intended to join the assault.
During the attack, Israeli soldiers worked to rescue and aid Palestinian families, helping them escape burning buildings and providing first aid.
The investigation also found that several security team members from a nearby settlement participated in the attack while in uniform. Two members of the security team were dismissed, and their weapons were confiscated after the initial investigation was completed.
A week after the attack, four suspects were arrested with the help of intelligence from the Shin Bet, including three adults and one minor. The three adults are being held in administrative detention. As the investigation continues, additional arrests are expected.
Read more: What is administrative detention?
‘A very serious terrorist incident’
Maj.-Gen. Avi Bluth, the commander of the IDF’s Central Command – which is responsible for the West Bank – acknowledged that the military had failed to protect the residents of Jit and committed to improving the response to such attacks.
“This is a very serious terrorist incident by Israelis who deliberately set out to harm the residents of the village of Jit and we failed by not being able to arrive sooner to protect them,” said Bluth.
The commander expressed appreciation for the soldiers who risked their lives to stop the rioters and save Palestinians trapped in burning buildings.
“A lot of work is still ahead of us, and we will be tested by actions, not words. The event is still in progress and will not be completed until we bring the rioters to justice,” added the commander.
Israeli leaders, international community clash on settler violence
For months, world leaders have increased their focus on violence committed by Israeli civilians against Palestinians in the West Bank.
The United States and European Union have issued several waves of sanctions against Israeli citizens and organizations they accuse of being linked to settler violence since the beginning of the year.
On Wednesday, the U.S. State Department issued new sanctions against an Israeli organization called Hashomer Yosh, which supports a West Bank outpost called the Meitarim Farm, and the security coordinator of the Yitzhar settlement, Yitzhak Levi Filant.
Hashomer Yosh has denied any involvement in violent activities. Filant argued that he was targeted because he’s a Jew.
On Thursday, E.U. foreign policy chief Josep Borrell announced that he had started speaking with member states about imposing sanctions on “some Israeli ministers.”
In Israel, the attack on Jit sparked widespread condemnation, although some public figures expressed support for the Israelis who took part in the violence.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement condemning the attack, saying, “Those who fight terrorism are the IDF and the security forces, and no one else. Those responsible for any criminal act will be caught and prosecuted.”
President Isaac Herzog condemned the riots as well, saying, “This is an extremist minority that harms the law-abiding community of settlers and the settlements as a whole, as well as the name and status of Israel in the world during a particularly sensitive and difficult period.”
“This is not our way and certainly not the way of Torah and Judaism. Law enforcement officials must act immediately against this serious phenomenon and bring the lawbreakers to justice,” Herzog added.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir blamed the army for the riots, saying that the violence erupted because the IDF wasn’t shooting Palestinians who were throwing stones at Israelis. IDF sources told Israeli media that no reports of stone-throwing by Palestinians were received in the area before the attack.
Ben-Gvir added, however, that civilians should not “take the law into their own hands.”
“The one who needs to deal with terrorism and deterrence, including against terrorists from the village of Jit, is the IDF,” the minister said.
Last week, Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar warned government ministers that riots like the one in Jit were causing “indescribable damage” to the State of Israel. Bar expressed concerns that extremists were encouraged by a “secret sense of backing” from the police, who are under the responsibility of Ben-Gvir’s office.
Ben-Gvir later expressed outrage after several Israelis were arrested on suspicion of taking part in the riot, berating Bar and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for “harassing lovers of the land.” Ben-Gvir called for Bar and Gallant to be fired.
Riots like the one in Jit have become more prevalent in recent years. Last year, riots erupted in the town of Huwara after two Israelis were murdered in a terrorist attack in the town. The terrorist behind the attack was not from Huwara. One Palestinian was shot and killed amid the riots.
After several Israelis were arrested on suspicion of taking part in the Huwara riots, Ben-Gvir called for their release, expressing outrage that “detention orders are issued for Jews while terrorism is ‘contained.’”
Last week, Israelis from the settlement of Itamar attacked a Palestinian village on Shabbat, lighting fires and throwing stones at residents.
