Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday night condemned a violent riot by right-wing Jewish activists that allegedly led to an attack against Israel Defense Forces soldiers in Samaria’s Binyamin region.
“I strongly condemn the acts of rioting that took place in the Binyamin region, during which IDF soldiers were attacked,” the premier stated following the conclusion of Shabbat. “The State of Israel is a state of law, and no one is allowed to take the law into their own hands,” he added.
“The incident must be thoroughly investigated, and the law must be fully enforced against anyone who broke it and acted against our soldiers,” he continued, noting that the rioters were part of a “small minority” of Jewish Judea and Samaria residents and do not represent them.
According to the IDF, the incident started on Friday night when soldiers identified a number of Israeli civilian vehicles entering a closed military zone near the Palestinian village of Kafr Malik in the Binyamin region.
When the troops arrived to disperse the gathering, “dozens” of activists allegedly threw rocks at and attacked the forces both verbally and physically, including at least one attempt to run them over.
The soldiers put an end to the incident using riot control measures and arrested six suspects, who were transferred into police custody.
“I strongly condemn any violence against IDF soldiers, Israel Border Police and all security forces,” IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir stated following a conversation with the involved soldiers. “I expect all law enforcement authorities, legal authorities and welfare agencies to address this phenomenon in a comprehensive and decisive manner.”
On Saturday, the Honenu legal defense group, which represents some of the suspects, claimed the soldiers had opened fire at the rioters, hitting a 14-year-old Israeli teenager in the arm and inflicting serious wounds.
“The bullet entered his arm and lodged in his back,” the group said in a statement on Saturday evening. “He is suffering from shattered bones in the shoulder and arm, blast injuries to the lungs, and shrapnel wounds.”
The army, which up until that point had not acknowledged any injuries caused by the soldiers, subsequently denied having fired on the rioters, but said it was investigating the claims “in all their aspects, including the warning shots” that were used to de-escalate the event.
Binyamin Regional Council head Israel Ganz, who also heads the Yesha Council umbrella group of Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria, said he had met with Zamir at the scene after Shabbat on Saturday night.
“I emphasized to the chief of staff that documentation shows that the force acted inappropriately and this must be investigated immediately,” Ganz claimed in a subsequent statement. “There is no place for live fire against civilians. An event that ends with a teenager being shot in the chest is very serious and must not be overlooked. I expect a probe.”
“I clarified that there is no place for violence in any way—and certainly not against security forces—and whoever commits violence must be punished accordingly,” added the regional leader.
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who is also responsible for civilian matters in Judea and Samaria as a second minister in the defense ministry, also called for a probe on Saturday night.
“The IDF and the settlers are one and the same. Whoever raises a hand against IDF soldiers is fighting against the settlement enterprise, not for it. And yet—live fire against Jews is forbidden and dangerous,” he wrote.
The military recorded 663 instances of violence by Jews against Arabs and security forces across Judea and Samaria in 2024, a 34% decrease compared to the previous year, when 1,005 attacks were reported.
Meanwhile, Jerusalem recorded thousands of Palestinian terrorist attacks against Jews in 2024, the majority of which emanated from the Gaza Strip.
In Judea and Samaria, Palestinian terrorists targeted Israeli Jews at least 6,343 times last year, according to figures published by the Rescuers Without Borders (Hatzalah Judea and Samaria) NGO on Feb. 17.
Twenty-seven Israelis were murdered in Judea and Samaria in 2024, and more than 300 others were wounded, the group said in its annual report.