'Israeli' rights group accuses 'Israeli' commander of war crimes in West Bank

An 'Israeli' human rights organization has formally asked the military to investigate a senior commander in the occupied West Bank over alleged war crimes linked to his remarks and actions targeting Palestinian communities.

The request, submitted Sunday by the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI), centers on comments made by Major General Avi Bluth, the officer in charge of 'Israeli' operations in the West Bank.

In a video circulated last week, Bluth declared that “every (Palestinian) village and every enemy... will pay a heavy price” in response to attacks on 'Israelis'.

In the same footage, Bluth suggested Palestinian villages linked to attackers could face curfews, encirclements, and “shaping actions” on the terrain designed to deter further violence.

ACRI described these statements, along with subsequent military actions, as measures that amounted to collective punishment of civilians.

In a letter addressed to Military Advocate-General Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi, the group wrote,“We ask you to order the opening of an investigation against Major General Bluth on suspicion of war crimes.”

The call came as 'Israeli' forces and bulldozers on Sunday uprooted hundreds of trees in the Palestinian village of Al-Mughayyir, the same community where a man had recently been arrested on suspicion of carrying out what the forces described as a “terrorist attack.”

The military later confirmed that it had “cleared” the area, claiming the vegetation obstructed visibility and made it difficult to detect hostile movements.

ACRI rejected that explanation, accusing the army of punishing civilians for the actions of one individual.

“For months, lawlessness in the West Bank has made war crimes and crimes against humanity part of daily life. Alarmingly, the army has begun to boast about it,” the group said in its statement. “We ask you to order the army to immediately cease all acts of collective punishment, including the destruction of property.”

Bluth, who was born in a West Bank settlement and previously served as military secretary to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has himself faced criticism from 'Israeli' settler groups for condemning violent acts carried out by settlers against Palestinians.