Palestinian citizens were marked with numbers written on their foreheads and arms by Israeli soldiers in the West Bank. This is the latest disturbing, widely reported case that has brought attention back to the behavior and violence of IDF soldiers during raids in the Palestinian territories.
According to reports, accompanied by images, several residents of the northern West Bank town of Qabatiyah were branded with the number 44 during an Israeli military operation in the area. The IDF admitted to the actions, claiming that the soldiers were reprimanded.
"This is what dehumanization looks like. It erases the human being and turns him into a number," Ahmad Tibi, a member of the Knesset and leader of the Arab-Israeli party, declared openly, calling it "an image reminiscent of dark times."
The practice, later accepted by Tel Aviv's military leaders, was documented by local media, which showed images of several Palestinians with the number 44 written in marker on their foreheads and arms, including journalist Mahmoud Zakarneh. According to residents themselves, Israeli soldiers beat dozens of people, interrogating them under threat before branding them with marker.
The IDF explained that the arrests were part of a sweep operation to track down individuals suspected of planning attacks, which involved over 50 buildings in the northern West Bank. According to military officials, the soldiers involved "marked the suspects being questioned as part of the operation" so as not to confuse those who had already been searched.
The IDF explained that this was inappropriate behavior and that the soldiers responsible would be formally reprimanded, without specifying what measures would be taken. This is not the first time the Israeli army has been involved in similar behavior. Last April, soldiers wrote numbers on the hands of Palestinian women at the entrance to the Jenin refugee camp. In that case, the action was labeled a "bad act" and disciplinary measures were promised.
For weeks, the West Bank has seen an escalation of violence following repeated violent raids by Israeli settlers aimed at evicting Palestinians and retaking settlements, all under the watchful eye of the army, which almost never intervenes. The most striking case is near Nablus, where several Palestinian families remain under siege by settlers who are blocking food and water deliveries, forcing residents who own their homes to abandon them. ©LAPSI.al
