Caught on Camera: Israeli Soldier Drives Vehicle Into Palestinian Man Offering Namaz

A disturbing video circulating on social media has sparked outrage after it showed an Israeli reservist soldier driving his vehicle into a Palestinian man who was offering namaz along a roadside in the occupied West Bank.

The incident, captured on camera, has prompted an official response from the Israeli military and renewed scrutiny of settler violence in the region.

Israeli military confirms reservist's involvement

Reacting to the footage, the Israeli military acknowledged that the person seen in the video was a reservist whose service has since been terminated.

"Footage was received of an armed individual running over a Palestinian individual," the military said in a statement. It added that the reservist had acted "in severe violation of his authority", following which his weapon was confiscated. According to local media reports, the accused has been placed under house arrest.

Video details verified by Reuters

The video, broadcast on Palestinian television and verified by Reuters, shows a man in civilian clothes with a firearm slung over his shoulder driving an off-road vehicle directly into a man praying on the side of the road. Moments later, the driver is seen shouting and gesturing aggressively, ordering the man to leave the area.

Family alleges pain and harassment after attack

The Palestinian man was taken to hospital for medical checks following the incident and was later discharged. While he did not suffer visible injuries, his father, Majdi Abu Mokho, said his son continues to experience pain in both legs.

"The assailant is a known settler. He set up an outpost near the village, and with other settlers he comes to graze his livestock, blocks the road and provokes the residents," Mokho told AFP. He also alleged that the soldier used pepper spray on his son, though this is not visible in the footage.

Pattern of violence in the West Bank

According to a report by The Times of Israel, the same individual had earlier opened fire inside the village, an act the Israeli Defence Forces described as a "serious breach of his authority".

The incident comes amid heightened tensions in the West Bank. Recently, five Israeli settlers were arrested over an alleged attack on a Palestinian home that left an eight-month-old baby girl with "moderate injuries to the face and head".

Since the outbreak of the war following the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, Israeli troops and settlers have killed more than 1,000 Palestinians in the West Bank, including militants and civilians. During the same period, at least 44 Israelis, both civilians and soldiers, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or Israeli military operations in the territory.