December 10, 2012

(JTA) — For a second time this month, Israeli media have shown videos of Israeli soldiers fleeing a Palestinian mob. 

The video released on Monday by the news site Ynet shows a platoon running from a crowd of stone-throwing Palestinians near the West Bank settlement of Mitzpe Kedumim. Last week, Channel 2 showed a video of a separate incident that occurred on Dec. 6 some 45 miles farther south, in Hebron, when Israeli troops fled a mob into a butcher shop.

The video from Mitzpe Kedumim shows the Israeli soldiers attempting to disperse a riot before retreating to their posts under a deluge of rocks and stones.

According to the Maariv newspaper, three soldiers were injured in the incident, “two by stones, one with a fractured hand and the other in the face with a cut to his head. Another fighter was hurt when a stun grenade exploded and burned his hand.”

The injured soldiers were evacuated to Beilinson Hospital in Petach Tikvah, the paper reported.

The Israel Defense Forces said in a statement that the incident filmed at Mitzpe Kedumim was being investigated.

“Following the incident, the orders pertaining to crowd control were clarified:  Soldiers must break up violent riots with determination while exercising discretion regarding the use of force,” the IDF statement said.

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