Palestinians marked with numbers in West Bank raid

Israel's military said Tuesday that security forces marked Palestinians who were questioned during a raid in Qabatiya in the occupied West Bank, after footage on social media drew criticism.

The military said the markings were made during a brigade-level operation in the village on Monday. It said commanders had highlighted the gravity of the incident to forces and that “lessons were learned”.

Footage shared on social media showed a Palestinian with the number 44 written on his forehead in black permanent marker. Ahmed Hatnawi, a Qabatiya resident who had recently been released from an Israeli jail, told local Palestinian media that around 50 people were held in a house.

“They treat us brutally,” Hatnawi said. “This is just a way of humiliating us.”

Hatnawi said the army had come to warn residents not to attack Israeli settlers newly established in the area. Residents of other communities in the region gave similar accounts to AFP last week.

The Ganim settlement was inaugurated last week near Qabatiya, and settlers are expected to move into another settlement, Kadim, in the near future.

Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967. Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal under international law, and their number has risen under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government.