Israeli forces faced mass condemnation after strapping a wounded Palestinian to the bonnet of their vehicle, using him as a human shield, during a rain in the occupied West Bank.
The footage of the incident, which occurred Saturday, has gone viral and shows a Jenin resident strapped horizontally to the bonnet of a military jeep as it passes through a narrow alley.
Medics identified the Palestinian as Mujahid Fayyad from the Jabriyat neighborhood located between the town of Burqin and Jenin.
The soldiers were accused of abusing the injured man as a "human shield" during the operation.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed the incident Sunday, a day after it occurred.
It said the Palestinian was wounded during an operation launched in the area of Wadi Burqin to apprehend wanted suspects.
Israeli forces tie the injured Palestinian on the hood of a military jeep, preventing the Palestinian Red Crescent crew from providing medical assistance to the young man pic.twitter.com/I3e4p1AwkX
— Anadolu English (@anadoluagency) June 22, 2024
During an exchange of fire, one of the suspects was wounded and apprehended, the military claimed in a statement.
"In violation of orders and standard operating procedures, the suspect was taken by the forces while tied on top of a vehicle," the statement said.
"The conduct of the forces in the video of the incident does not conform to the values of the IDF (military)," it added.
"The incident will be investigated and dealt with accordingly," the military said, adding that the wounded man was transferred to the Palestinian Red Crescent for treatment.
Fayyad is currently being treated at Jenin's Ibn Sina hospital, medics at the facility said.
Jenin has long been a stronghold for Palestinian resistance groups and the Israeli army routinely carries out raids in the city and adjacent refugee camp.
Israeli violence in the West Bank has further escalated since the Oct. 7 Hamas incursion triggered Tel Aviv's latest war on Gaza.
Israeli troops or settlers have killed at least 553 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank since, according to Palestinian officials.
