Israeli authorities have initiated an investigation following the emergence of CCTV footage depicting a border police officer throwing a stun grenade into a vehicle occupied by young Palestinians. The incident occurred on Sunday during a raid by Israeli forces on the Qalandiya refugee camp in the occupied West Bank.
The footage, released by the Israeli human rights organisation B’Tselem, shows the officer approaching a car, shouting at its occupants. After a brief verbal exchange, the officer is seen retrieving a stun grenade from his belt and throwing it through the open door of the vehicle, which he then pushes shut as the driver attempts to exit. The officer can be heard shouting, "Shut your mouth. Who are you talking to like that?" Moments later, the grenade detonates, producing a cloud of smoke. The two passengers subsequently scramble out of the vehicle through the opposite side, while the officer appears to fire his rifle as they seek cover. B’Tselem confirmed that all individuals inside the car survived the incident.
Israeli police have stated that the officer’s actions were "not in accordance with procedure" and confirmed that the Ministry of Justice’s department responsible for investigating police officers is handling the case. The officer has been suspended from duty pending the outcome of the investigation. Stun grenades are designed to disorient individuals through an intense flash and deafening sound, but they carry the risk of serious injury, particularly if they detonate in close proximity to a person.
This incident occurred during a broader raid on the Qalandiya refugee camp where, according to the Palestinian health ministry, Israeli forces shot and killed a 16-year-old boy, Walid Abu Sneineh, and wounded three other Palestinians. The ministry also reported that two Palestinian children sustained injuries after being shot in their lower limbs during the same operation. Separately, a four-month-old Palestinian infant, Ahmad Maarouf Zaid, reportedly died late on Sunday after his family claimed Israeli forces prevented them from crossing a checkpoint to reach an ambulance, a claim denied by an IDF spokesperson.
Human rights organisations have consistently raised concerns about the escalating violence in the West Bank. UN data indicates that since 2020, at least 1,175 Palestinian civilians, with over a quarter being children, have been killed by Israeli soldiers and settlers in the occupied West Bank. No charges have been brought in connection with any of these deaths. Yuli Novak, Executive Director of B’Tselem, commented that the "widespread and unprecedented killing of Palestinian children and teenagers in the West Bank is the result of a broader Israeli policy that allows the killing of Palestinians and violent abuse against them without any accountability."