An Israeli reservist has been dismissed from military service after allegedly driving an all-terrain vehicle into a Palestinian man who was praying by the roadside in the occupied West Bank, the Israeli military said on Thursday. The incident, captured on video, has added to rising tensions in a region already grappling with escalating violence. 

The army confirmed that the reservist’s weapon was confiscated and that he acted “in severe violation of his authority.” The attack occurred while the soldier, dressed in civilian clothing but carrying a rifle on his back, confronted the man during prayers.

Video shows reservist running over Palestinian man

Footage circulating online shows the reservist accelerating toward the Palestinian man and knocking him to the ground. The video then captures the soldier gesturing and shouting at him to leave the area. The victim was taken to hospital for examination but later returned home.

According to the man’s father, Majdi Abu Mokho, his son is suffering pain in both legs following the incident. He also alleged that the soldier used pepper spray on him, although this detail is not visible in the available video. “The assailant is a known settler. He set up an outpost near the village, and with other settlers he comes to graze his livestock, blocks the road and provokes the residents,” he told AFP.

Soldier arrested, placed under house arrest

Local media reports, including the Times of Israel, said the reservist was arrested on Thursday night. He has been placed under house arrest for five days as authorities examine the circumstances of the attack.

The outlet also noted that the same reservist had previously opened fire inside the village in an incident the Israeli Defence Forces described as a “serious breach of his authority.”

Incident adds to mounting violence in West Bank

The United Nations has recorded this year as one of the most violent for attacks by Israeli civilians on Palestinians in the West Bank, reporting more than 750 Palestinian injuries. UN figures show that more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank between 7 October 2023 and 17 October 2025, mostly during operations by Israeli forces and some through settler violence. Over the same period, 57 Israelis were killed in attacks by Palestinians.