Israel soldier on video firing gun at Palestinian homes near Nablus

An Israeli soldier was captured on camera firing a gun at Palestinian homes near Nablus in the occupied West Bank on Saturday.

The soldier told superiors he stepped out of his car and fired at houses in Hawara village after a stone was thrown at the vehicle as he was departing for leave for a Jewish religious festival, according to Israeli newspaper Haaretz.

The Israeli military is looking into the matter.

It comes after Israeli settlers on Thursday chucked stones at Palestinian cars near Hawara and set a vehicle and café alight under military protection, witnesses said.

חייל צה"ל במהלך חופשה מהבסיס מרסס בתים בחווארה בטענה שנזרקה לעברו אבן. pic.twitter.com/Nv1dNOarpx

— yaniv kubovich יניב קובוביץ (@yanivkub) October 16, 2022

"Everyone turns a blind eye to what's happening in the area with the settlers, but nationalistic crimes by Jews in the areas are escalating and may lead to a situation that everyone fears," Haaretz quoted a security source as saying.

Israeli forces commonly protect settlers as they attack Palestinians. The military itself also routinely uses violence against Palestinians.

There are hundreds of thousands of Israeli settlers living illegally in the West Bank, including in East Jerusalem.

Settlements are viewed a key obstacle to realising a two-state solution since they take over Palestinian land and make dismantling the occupation much more difficult.