Screen shot of mob attacking IDF soldiers. Photo: Youtube

Video has surfaced of a confrontation between IDF soldiers and a mob of rock-throwing Palestinian Arabs in the West Bank. The incident took place outside the village of Kafr Qaddum and comes only days after a similar scene played out in Hebron.

In the video the IDF soldiers  attempt to disperse a riot before retreating to their posts under a deluge of rocks and stones.

According to Israel’s Maariv three soldiers were injured in the incident, “two by stones, one with a fractured hand and the other in the face with a cut to his head. Another fighter was hurt when a stun grenade exploded and burned his hand. The injured soldiers were evacuated to Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva.”

A source in the IDF told The Algemeiner that soldiers must ask for approval before using force. “Every time you go out on a mission you breach the subject beforehand,” the source said. “Every scenario has its own procedure of how you can engage fire or what they’re going to do in specific scenarios.” The source continued.

If the expectation for that particular mission doesn’t go as expected, as was the case in that scene in the video, then the soldiers have no recourse but to retreat. “I was in the reserve two weeks ago and I heard over the radio that several soldiers were surrounded by a mob throwing rocks and they had to wait for permission to use rubber bullets,” the source said.

Ynet reports that many soldiers have complained of the vague rules of engagement.

For its part an IDF spokesperson for the soldiers’ unit released the following statement:

“The incident depicted in the video is being investigated. The event took place during a violent and illegal riot in Qaddum – one of the most violent areas in the Judea and Samaria Sector.

“Following the incident, the orders pertaining to crowd control were clarified further, stressing that soldiers must break up violent riots with professional determination, while exerting operational discretion as to the use of force.”

A video of the incident can be viewed below: