Three Police Officers Injured in Mitzpe Yeriho Clashes Amid Criticism of Minister Ben Gvir
Three police officers were injured in clashes with settlers in Mitzpe Yeriho, with no arrests made. National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir arrived shortly after, facing criticism from police over his aggressive conduct.
Three police officers were injured on Thursday during clashes with settlers in Mitzpe Yeriho during a police operation. One of the injured is a Yasam patrol fighter who suffered a broken nose, and another is a patrol officer who broke his hand. During the incident, an undercover police vehicle was also damaged with a knife.
Despite the severity of the incident, the assault on the officers, and the resulting injuries, no one has been arrested so far in connection with the attack. The details of the incident were also not officially published by the police.
Minister Ben Gvir's Conduct at the Scene
Shortly after the clashes subsided, Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir arrived at the location. According to the testimony of a police officer present at the scene, the minister behaved aggressively and belligerently, and blatantly ignored the police forces on the ground.
Ben Gvir ignored the police officers, walked as if he owned the place just to get credit from his crowd.
Background to the Operation
The incident began when an undercover force from the Judea and Samaria District arrived in Mitzpe Yeriho to arrest a suspect driving a vehicle allegedly involved in an assault earlier that day. During the attempted arrest, a confrontation broke out between settlers and the forces, during which officers were reportedly attacked.
Amidst the commotion, the undercover vehicle was slashed with a knife, and three officers were wounded. During the height of the confrontation, Minister Itamar Ben Gvir arrived, reportedly addressing the gathered crowd while ignoring the security personnel, with some individuals at the scene even shouting insults and threats at the officers.
