‘Israeli’ soldier burned Palestinian detainee, forced him to eat feces, indictment says

• An ‘Israeli’ soldier is expected to face charges over the abuse of a handcuffed and blindfolded Palestinian detainee near Jenin.
• The 22-year-old Palestinian was detained on Oct. 22 after soldiers reportedly found a knife in his vehicle.
• Allegations include beatings, cigarette burns, urination and being smeared with feces and forced to eat it.

An ‘Israeli’ soldier is expected to face charges over the alleged torture and severe abuse of a Palestinian detainee who was handcuffed and blindfolded at a military post near Jenin in the occupied West Bank, according to the ‘Israeli’ military.

The case emerged after ‘Israel's’ Channel 12 reported that the 22-year-old Palestinian man had been subjected to a series of assaults while being held at the Jalamah military post, including beatings, cigarette burns, urination and the alleged smearing of feces on his body and face, with the soldier reportedly forcing him to eat it.

The incident dates back to Oct. 22, when soldiers from the Paratroopers Brigade detained the Palestinian during vehicle inspections at the Gilboa crossing, north of Jenin. Soldiers reportedly found a knife inside his vehicle before taking him in handcuffs to the nearby military installation, where he was held pending questioning by ‘Israel's’ Shin Bet security service.

According to Channel 12, the soldier assigned to guard the detainee allegedly kicked him, struck him with a rifle butt and extinguished cigarettes against his body. He then reportedly urinated on the Palestinian and smeared him with feces after defecating inside the guard post.

Other soldiers who subsequently entered the facility noticed a strong smell and discovered signs of the alleged mistreatment. They reported what they had witnessed to their commanders, prompting the battalion commander to refer the matter to the Military Police for investigation.

The ‘Israeli’ military subsequently confirmed that an investigation had been opened into what it described as the "severe abuse of a handcuffed and blindfolded Palestinian detainee." One conscript was arrested in connection with the case.

During questioning, the suspect reportedly acknowledged striking the Palestinian but denied the other allegations. Channel 12 said investigators had identified inconsistencies between his account, the evidence collected and statements provided by other soldiers.

The Palestinian was later released without charge and gave testimony to military investigators, according to the ‘Israeli’ broadcaster.

An ‘Israeli’ military court extended the soldier's detention until Nov. 12 to allow a hearing ahead of the expected filing of formal charges.

The case comes amid longstanding criticism of ‘Israel's’ handling of allegations of abuse against Palestinian detainees, with rights groups raising concerns over the limited number of investigations that result in criminal proceedings.

According to figures published by ‘Israeli’ rights organization Yesh Din and cited by the Spanish news agency EFE, 2,427 complaints alleging abuse of Palestinians by ‘Israeli’ soldiers in the occupied West Bank were submitted between 2016 and 2024. Only 552 resulted in criminal investigations, while 23 led to indictments.

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