Extremist settlers torch West Bank security site and riot against ‘traitor’ IDF officer

Dozens of settlers set fire to an Israeli security installation used to foil terrorist attacks and rioted outside a West Bank military base on Sunday night.

It comes days after a senior officer in the IDF was assaulted by Jewish extremists on Friday.

The settlers torched the site, worth hundreds of thousands of pounds, used to “thwart terror attacks and maintain security” in the Ramallah area of the West Bank, according to the IDF.

The IDF has condemned the overnight attack on the security installation. (Israel Defence Forces)[Missing Credit]

The Shin Bet has opened an investigation into the attack. According to the military, the damage to the site “poses a danger to the security of the residents”.

The Shin Bet has opened an investigation into the security installation arson. (Israel Defence Forces)[Missing Credit]

Elsewhere, crowds of settlers rioted outside the Binyamin Regional Brigade military base in the central West Bank.

Some reportedly attempted to break into the base, while others threw rocks, sprayed mace at troops and slashed the tires of military vehicles.

The settlers held up a sign calling saying “the battalion commander is a traitor,” referring to the army officer who was injured last week.

The crowds were protesting the use of warning shots by the IDF against settlers who attacked a military patrol on Friday evening – which allegedly resulted in the injury of a teenager.

They called on the military to prosecute the commander of the Binyamin Brigade’s 7114th Battalion who had been injured earlier that evening - along with other soldiers - by Jewish extremists and was reportedly not present at the scene of the shooting.

Two incidents took place on Friday night, sparking political unrest and renewed debate over the rising violence by settlers in the West Bank.

Troops had entered the Palestinian village of Kafr Malik, which had been designated a closed military zone following a settler attack on Wednesday that left three Palestinians dead from IDF gunfire, along with multiple attempts by settlers to set up an illegal outpost near the village on Palestinian land.

The IDF said it was investigating the casualties after returning fire towards a group of terrorists that had launched an attack from the village.

However, some 70 settlers had arrived at the area and begun to attack IDF troops, including the battalion commander.

The IDF said damage to the site 'poses a danger to the security of the residents'. (Israel Defence Forces)[Missing Credit]

They beat, choked, and hurled rocks at the troops and slashed the tires of a police cruiser, according to a report in the Times of Israel.

No live fire was deployed by troops, according to the IDF, but they used riot control measures and six suspects were detained.

In a separate incident that evening, two hours later at 12:37 am local time, a military patrol was ambushed by masked suspects.

The IDF released footage showing the moment the patrol was set upon by around 20 individuals, some six kilometres from the site where the battalion commander and his troops had been attacked.

In response to the ambush, an officer briefly exited his vehicle and fired three warning shots in the air – in line with army protocol – to try and stop the rock-throwing.

The officer then advanced toward the suspects to arrest them, at which point he reportedly realised they were Jews as one allegedly shouted at the soldier in Hebrew: “I’ll shoot you in the head, you son of a w****.”

The suspects fled the area and no arrests were made.

At 1:03 am, a 14-year-old Israeli boy was brought to a nearby army post with a bullet in his shoulder where he was treated by medics before being taken to hospital.

The IDF, which is investigating the incident, said it is possible that one of the warning shots hit the boy but noted that the officer did not directly fire at anyone during the incident.

About last night’s arson attack on the West Bank security site, an IDF spokesperson said: “The IDF condemns any act of violence against security forces and expects security forces to bring to justice Israeli civilians who harm security personnel who are carrying out their duty to protect Israeli citizens.

“The IDF and all security forces will continue to focus on protecting civilians, while also enforcing the law and preventing any illegal activity, wherever it may occur.”