ALBAWABA - At a religious event in Hebron, in the occupied West Bank, Israeli Major General Avi Bluth, the commander of the Israeli army's Central Command, was attacked verbally and physically by dozens of hardline settlers on Friday. The event happened during a time of increased tension in the region and was allegedly stoked by Bluth's prior pledge to handle settler violence.
Police detained five people who pursued Bluth and his escorting soldiers, accusing him of being a "traitor" and trying to obstruct a vital military evacuation, according to the Times of Israel. The soldiers and Bluth were unharmed, according to the army.
The Israeli military called the strike unacceptable and denounced it in a statement. "The brawl was broken up, and five suspects were taken into custody. "This behavior is strongly condemned by the army," the statement said.
Tens of thousands of Jews participate in the yearly holy pilgrimage to Hebron, which coincided with the attack. Similar incidents have occurred in the past, when settlers have targeted Palestinian citizens in defiance of the Israeli military's stringent movement restrictions.
Yoav Gallant, the defense minister, decided to lift administrative detention orders for West Bank settlers at the same time as the event. These directives, which permit the detention of people without formal accusations, will henceforth only be applied to Palestinians.
Since taking office in June, General Bluth has been an outspoken opponent of settler violence. Many hardline settlers have been incensed by his promise to take strong action against such acts, which may have fueled Friday's altercation.
Since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, there has been a marked upsurge in settlers attacking Palestinians. The majority of cases pertaining to settler violence are either dismissed or not pursued, according to human rights organizations, which have blasted Israeli authorities for infrequently prosecuting settlers implicated in these attacks.
