The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have dismissed a reservist soldier after video footage surfaced showing him repeatedly kicking a Palestinian man in the West Bank town of Dura, near Hebron. The incident, which occurred in early October 2025, has sparked widespread condemnation and prompted a Military Police investigation.
The Incident
Surveillance footage shared on social media shows two soldiers approaching a Palestinian man, reportedly a bakery worker, ordering him to sit on the ground. One of the soldiers appears to show the man something on a mobile phone before kicking him multiple times while the other soldier stands by, watching.
The man, identified in Arabic-language posts as Abd al-Hadi Masharqa, was later transferred for medical treatment.
In a statement, the IDF said:
“The IDF views the behavior of a soldier that is inconsistent with IDF values gravely. The soldiers were suspended from duty, and their reserve service was immediately suspended.”
The military confirmed that the Military Police have launched an official investigation into the incident.
Official and Public Reaction
Footage of the assault was widely circulated online, including by Arab-Israeli lawmaker Ahmad Tibi, who condemned the soldiers’ actions as part of a recurring pattern of abuse by Israeli troops in the occupied territories. The video reignited debate about the conduct of the “world’s most moral army,” a slogan frequently used by Israeli officials to describe the IDF’s code of ethics.
A Pattern of Abuse
This is not the first time Israeli soldiers have been accused of brutality against Palestinian civilians in similar circumstances. In May 2024, another incident occurred in the village of Deir Abu Mash’al, northwest of Ramallah. After stones were reportedly thrown at Israeli military vehicles, soldiers entered a local bakery, chased workers into an adjoining shop, and beat them with their hands and rifle barrels. Two men were detained and further assaulted inside a military jeep before being released. The bakery owner later provided security footage of the incident to a military officer.
Accountability and Oversight
While the IDF’s swift dismissal of the soldiers in the Dura case may be viewed as an attempt to uphold discipline, critics argue that such measures rarely lead to meaningful accountability. Human rights organizations have repeatedly accused the Israeli military justice system of failing to properly prosecute cases involving violence against Palestinians.
The ongoing investigation will determine whether the soldiers face criminal charges under military law. However, for many Palestinians and human rights observers, the incident is yet another example of systemic abuse carried out with near impunity in the occupied West Bank.
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