IDF Spokesperson: “The investigation into the disturbances in the village of Jit, which occurred on Thursday, August 15, 2024, was presented to the Central Command Commander, Major General Avi Blot,” said IDF Spokesperson Brigadier General Daniel Hagari. “The investigation reveals that on the evening of Thursday, a warning was received from the Shin Bet about the organization of Israeli civilians in vehicles, intending to carry out nationalist crimes in the Yitzhar area.”
Numerous forces from the IDF, Border Police, and the police were deployed in the area in advance, at several key junctions and routes, to prevent the incident. Around 8:00 PM, approximately 100 masked Israeli civilians entered the village of Jit in Samaria, set fire to three vehicles and two buildings, and threw stones and Molotov cocktails.”
“At 8:06 PM, the brigade commander declared an incident protocol in Jit, and the first military force arrived in the village within six minutes of the declaration. The investigation found that the first force did not fully grasp the situation. They attempted to disperse the rioters and prevent harm to Palestinians, but they should have acted more decisively. After a few minutes, additional reserve forces and Border Police arrived and began to contain the rioters,” he continued. “The forces acted assertively, risking their lives, pushing the rioters out of the village, using crowd control measures, and firing into the air. Within half an hour of the incident’s onset, all the Israelis were removed from the village.”
“During the incident, IDF forces rescued and assisted Palestinian families, including women and children, in escaping burning buildings and provided them with first aid,” he added. “Border Police forces, deployed along routes in the area, prevented additional Israelis intending to join the riots from reaching the scene. During the incident, a Palestinian was killed by gunfire, and another Palestinian was injured. The shooting is under investigation by the Israel Police and Shin Bet.”
Continuing the Commander’s Remarks:
“It also emerged that at the beginning of the incident, members of a nearby settlement’s emergency response team, who were not on active reserve duty, arrived at the scene without authorization, dressed in uniforms, and acted beyond the defined authority for response team members,” the commander continued. “Following the incident’s investigation, two response team members were dismissed, and their weapons were confiscated.”
“The investigation revealed that there was a regional warning, and accordingly, the forces were deployed based on past incidents at key junctions and routes,” he said. “Later, forces were widely deployed at the entrance to the village of Jit, preventing additional rioters who intended to enter the village, thereby averting a more severe incident.”
“After no suspects were arrested on the day of the incident, last week, based on Shin Bet intelligence, four suspects were arrested—three adults and one minor—on suspicion of involvement in the serious incident in the village of Jit,” he explained. “The suspects were transferred to police custody. Upon completion of the investigation, the three adults were detained under administrative orders. The investigation of the events continues, and additional arrests are planned.”
Central Commander’s Statement:
“This was a very severe terrorist act by Israelis who set out to deliberately harm the residents of the village of Jit, and we failed by not arriving earlier to protect them,” said Central Command Commander Major General Avi Blot. “The responsibility is, first and foremost, mine as the head of the system, and I will do everything to improve it. I commend the IDF reserve soldiers who arrived at the scene, engaged with the rioters, and acted at the risk of their lives, saving the lives of Palestinians trapped in burning houses.”
“The IDF, Border Police, Shin Bet, and Israel Police are working in full cooperation in this incident and in general to eradicate this phenomenon,” the commander added. “There is still much work ahead of us, and we will be judged by our actions, not our words. The incident is still ongoing, and it will not be concluded until we bring the rioters to justice.”
