Reservists Refuse Order to Secure Police Investigating Arson of Palestinian Home

Reserve soldiers in the regional defense battalion refused an order to secure a police force investigating the arson of a home in a Palestinian village. The company commander assigned the task to another unit, which completed it. Additionally, IDF observation posts spotted four masked individuals, and two suspects were arrested after searches.

Reserve soldiers in the regional defense battalion (Hamar) refused an order after being asked to secure a police force that arrived to investigate the arson of a home in the Palestinian village of Furik, near Nablus. The arson occurred on the night between Saturday and Sunday, carried out by Jewish rioters. According to procedure, a military force is required to escort and secure the police during the investigation. The reserve force sent for the mission refused to carry it out, and the company commander assigned the task to another unit, which completed it. Additionally, after the arson, IDF observation posts spotted four masked individuals running in an open area. A military force was dispatched to search the area, and during the searches, two suspects were found hiding among the bushes. The two shouted that they were Jews at the last moment. A preliminary investigation raised suspicion that they were part of a group returning from a Palestinian village, their vehicle got stuck, and they fled to the fields. They were detained, transferred to the police, and their remand was extended.