VIDEO - The IDF has begun to investigate an incident in which rubber bullets were fired towards a bound Palestinian man who had been apprehended during the demonstrations against the border fence in the West Bank village of Naalin.
A 14-year old girl from the village filmed the incident from the window of her home, and the tape has reached Ynet, though the first few seconds immediately following the shooting are missing.
The IDF has stated that the incident is serious and negates the army's values, and that the Investigating Military Police (IMP) have launched an inquiry into the matter after receiving the tape.
The incident occurred on July 7, while the village was under full closure for four days. Palestinians, left-wing activists, and international peace activists held processions to Naalin from the direction of the nearby village of Dir Kadis in order to supply the residents with food.
One of the demonstrators, 27-year old Bil'in resident Ashraf Abu-Rahma, was detained for a half an hour. He was taken to a military jeep by a lieutenant-colonel on the scene. While he stood next to the jeep, one of the soldiers fired shots towards him, which Abu-Rahma claims injured him in the foot.
In the film, the soldier can be seen aiming his weapon from a distance of about 1.5 meters from the bound demonstrator, and firing rubber bullets. According to Abu-Rahma's testimony, his big toe was injured and he received treatment from a military medic on the scene, after which he was released by the soldiers.
"During the demonstration the soldiers caught me, arrested me – and after a few moments I heard shots and felt a fire in my body. I was afraid and didn't know what it was," Abu-Rahma said. The shots were fired while the officer was holding the Palestinian's arm.
The organization B'Tselem immediately transferred the tape of the incident to the IMP, along with a demand to launch an immediate investigation. In recent weeks ongoing demonstrations have been conducted almost daily by Palestinians and left-wing activists from Israel and the world, in protest against the construction of the separation fence in Naalin.
These protests often became violent. Over a week ago at least ten demonstrators, five of them Israelis, clashed with security forces. At that time there were around 400 activists that had arrived in the village following the closure imposed by the IDF in an effort to prevent the protests.
The residents of the village are protesting against the IDF's plan to confiscate half of the 2,000 acres belonging to the residents, which they claim represents only about a seventh of the amount of land they used to own.
'Serious and unlawful'
The IDF responded to the reports by stating that "this is a very serious and unlawful incident that negates the values of the IDF, in which firing as a means for the scattering of protests (not 'live' fire) was used against a Palestinian detainee, who had been arrested by our forces, after he had taken part in a violent demonstration against the construction of the separation fence in the village of Naalin.
"The army's code strictly prohibits the injuring of detainees and requires the soldiers to maintain respect for them and the wholeness of their bodies. Incidents of injured detainees are transferred, according to IDF policies, to the IMP to be investigated. In this case, following the transfer of the tape, Military Advocate General Brig.-Gen. Avihai Mandelblit has ordered the IMP to launch an investigation into the matter."
The IDF further stated that the Palestinian was examined by a military doctor and diagnosed with a very light wound on his big toe. He was released to his home without requiring any further medical treatment.