Israeli Knesset member vandalises Palestinian memorial in West Bank

Israeli Knesset member Zvi Sukkot vandalized a Palestinian memorial in the West Bank, using a sledgehammer to destroy the monument that commemorated Palestinians killed in the Gaza war. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) accused Sukkot of misusing resources and acting deceptively by requesting military protection just to carry out the act of vandalism.

Sukkot claimed the monument was a "terror monument" and argued that it glorified Jewish murderers, urging children not to dream of being terrorists. The IDF defended its decision to divert resources to accompany Sukkot, emphasizing that they had already dismantled similar symbols of incitement and that the vandalism was an unnecessary risk to soldiers already under significant operational strain.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the incident, stating that such actions undermine the IDF's focus on counterterrorism missions. Sukkot, a member of the Religious Zionist party and a right-wing politician, has a history of controversial actions, including a previous arrest for firebombing a mosque. The tensions in the West Bank have been high due to recent deadly attacks, with both Israeli settlers and Palestinians accusing each other of aggression, leading to a large-scale military operation and retaliation.