Israeli soldiers in civilian clothes join attacks on Palestinians in West Bank: Probe

Israeli soldiers have joined armed groups of Israeli occupiers attacking Palestinians in the West Bank while wearing civilian clothes, an Al Jazeera investigation broadcast Monday found. The Qatar-based network documented the killings of 14 Palestinians by Israeli occupiers who were found to be serving in the military or appeared in army uniform during attacks. The investigation showed soldiers taking part in assaults on Palestinian villages in civilian clothing, making them difficult to distinguish from armed Israeli occupiers.

It focused on the Israeli army’s Hagmar regional defense units, which recruit Israeli occupiers as reservists. According to the investigation, their ranks have grown sixfold since 2023, while their role has shifted from guarding illegal settlements to directly supporting attacks on Palestinian communities. The investigation, citing informed sources, said military service gives Israeli occupiers access to sensitive information about Palestinians, licensed weapons and regular military training.

In one case, the investigation linked the fatal shooting of a Palestinian on farmland in Hebron province in the southern West Bank to a soldier wearing civilian clothes. It identified him as an activist in Israeli occupier groups who had been placed under US sanctions in 2024 before the restrictions were lifted. The report did not name him. The investigation also presented images showing another Israeli soldier in civilian clothes assaulting Palestinian olive farmers in Nablus province.

The findings come amid mounting attacks on Palestinians and their property across the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. The Palestinian Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission recorded 1,369 attacks by Israeli occupiers in October. The commission also documented 12,506 attacks between October 2023 and June 2026, resulting in the deaths of 52 Palestinians and 890 fires on Palestinian property and farmland.