The Border Police officer filmed blocking a vehicle and throwing a stun grenade into it at the Qalandia checkpoint — already removed from his unit for eight days after prior questioning — is now the subject of a Police Internal Affairs (Mahash) investigation, Israeli media report.
Just after 22:00 Sunday night, Police Internal Affairs (Mahash) launched an investigation into the Border Police officer filmed at the Qalandia checkpoint blocking a vehicle and throwing a stun grenade into it. By that point, the officer had already been temporarily removed from his unit for eight days and barred from contacting those involved, following an earlier round of questioning under caution. This probe signals a more serious phase of internal review for an incident that has been widely condemned.
As first reported by The Zioneer earlier Sunday, initial footage of the officer throwing the stun grenade while preventing the driver from fleeing circulated rapidly. Police said in an initial statement that the officer’s actions were “not in accordance with procedures.” By early evening, multiple Israeli news outlets confirmed that Mahash had opened a formal investigation, and that the officer had been suspended and questioned under caution before being ordered away from his unit for eight days. The thread evolved from one-channel reporting (N12 journalist Inbar Tvizer) to a multi-outlet confirmation, building corroboration across the evening.
Attributed background from our published record: The incident occurred at the Qalandia refugee camp, a flashpoint in the West Bank, amid a broader scrutiny of stun grenade use by Israeli security forces in crowd-control and arrest operations.
What remains open: No details have been released on the scope of the Mahash probe, any specific charges being considered, or the officer's current duty status beyond the temporary removal. The driver’s condition or any injuries from the blast has not been reported.
10 developments
- DevelopingPolice officers to face Justice Ministry investigation over exceptional Haredi protest footage
- DevelopingPolice investigate criminal grenade throwing in Ashdod, no injuries
- StrongIsraeli police fire stun grenades to disperse protesters
- StrongBen Gvir says he spoke with police commissioner, stun grenade use may be restricted or removed
Source and signal
- Internal intake