Israeli soldiers are also settlers in West Bank: Al Jazeera investigation

Israeli settlers carrying out pogroms in the occupied West Bank often also then return dressed in military uniforms to impose orders on Palestinian victims, blurring the lines between violent attackers and security forces Israel claims uphold the law, an Al Jazeera investigation has found.The incidents captured in the investigation bolster the evidence presented by many Palestinian communities, international and Israeli human rights groups, activists and journalists pointing to institutional Israeli backing for settlers who have attacked, burned and taken over entire villages.A particularly stark example played out in the village of Tal, southwest of Nablus.Through facial matching and local testimonies, the investigation identified Yitzhak Levi Filant, a settler from Yitzhar known locally as “Yaqoub”. Filant was documented assaulting farmers in civilian clothing, only to return to the same village wearing a military uniform, carrying a military-issued weapon and issuing orders to residents.Filant was placed on the United States sanctions list in August 2024 under President Joe Biden before President Donald Trump’s administration removed him from the list in early 2025.Abbas Melhem,...