Violence in Judea and Samaria: 16-year-old arrested on suspicion of assaulting an elderly man; another young man placed under house arrest

A 16-year-old from the settlement of Avigil was arrested on suspicion of beating an elderly man with a disability using a pole, while his 17-year-old friend filmed the act. The two were arrested for questioning after citizens passed footage from social media to the police. The assault suspect was jailed; the second suspect was released to house arrest.

Police arrested two suspects last night (Sunday) for violence against an elderly man with a disability in Judea and Samaria. Footage circulated on social media shows one suspect, a 16-year-old from the settlement of Avigil in Samaria, hitting the elderly man, who uses crutches, with a pole, while his friend, a 17-year-old from Jerusalem, filmed the act. Citizens who noticed the footage passed it to the police, and investigators at the Hebron station located the youths. The assault suspect was jailed after the investigation and will be brought to a court hearing; the second suspect was released to house arrest under restrictive conditions. The incident occurs against the backdrop of rising violence in Judea and Samaria. Last week, Defense Minister Israel Katz announced the transfer of civil enforcement powers from the IDF to the police, a decision that drew criticism. A senior police official told Walla that the move was intended to divert criticism from the IDF.