Palestinian police officers who arrested an Israeli in Area C detained: "A serious breach of authority"
About two weeks after an armed reserve soldier was violently arrested by Palestinian police in Area C, IDF forces detained the three involved officers and transferred them for questioning. The security establishment defined the incident as a serious breach endangering life. Yesha Council Chairman Israel Gantz welcomed the arrests.
About two weeks after an armed reserve soldier encountered a Palestinian police checkpoint in Area C near Beitunia, was violently arrested by them, beaten, had his weapon taken, and was driven handcuffed in a police vehicle into Ramallah, IDF forces this week detained the three involved Palestinian officers. The IDF spokesperson announced that the officers exceeded their authority to operate in these areas and are being questioned by security forces. The security establishment defined the incident as a serious breach by the mechanisms, endangering the Israeli's life and involving aggressive and severe force against him. The IDF stated that it maintains security coordination in accordance with political echelon directives but will not tolerate deviations from procedures. Binyamin Regional Council Head and Yesha Council Chairman Israel Gantz welcomed the arrests, stating that the State of Israel is the sovereign in Area C and that the Palestinian Authority mechanisms must not be allowed to turn security coordination into a tool against Israelis. The reserve soldier described how the officers cocked weapons, aimed at him, broke his glasses and phone, took his weapon, forcibly removed him from his vehicle, beat him, and put him in the police vehicle while handcuffed.