Israeli troops drive around with injured Palestinian tied to vehicle as human shield
Jenin, West Bank - Israeli troops tied a wounded Palestinian man to a military vehicle, using him as a human shield during a raid in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin.
Footage of the incident, which occurred on Saturday, has gone viral and shows a Jenin resident strapped horizontally to the hood 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 military said the Palestinian was wounded during a "counterterrorism operation" launched in the area of Wadi Burqin to apprehend wanted suspects.
During an exchange of fire between troops and militants, one of the suspects was wounded and apprehended, the military claimed.
"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)."
"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 told AFP.
Israel's long history of using human shields
Israel has been documented using Palestinians – including children – as human shields during military operations in the territories it illegally occupies.
At least 553 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank by Israeli troops or settlers since the start of the war on Gaza.
Settlers have also ethnically cleansed multiple Palestinian villages with full backing from soldiers – many of whom are settlers themselves – and top Israeli politicians.
A recent transfer of legal power from the Israeli military to a civil administration answering to far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich is seen as a significant step towards full annexation.
Cover photo: REUTERS