Palestinians Arrested By Israeli Defense Forces For Violently Abusing Hyena

An Israeli Defense Force patrol arrested three Palestinians from Beit Umar in connection with a video they had posted on social media, which showed them violently abusing a hyena they previously caught and chained up.

The suspects were caught red-handed with the animal on Friday, the eve of Yom Kippur, near the settlement of Kfar Etzion, a few hours after the Nature and Parks Authority saw the video posted online.

After the IDF found the animal, they notified the Nature and Parks Authority, which arrived on the scene. Dr. Dudu Zakai, a vet with the authority, told reporters in Israel, “He was not in life threatening condition, but he needed medical attention.”

The men were ultimately identified due to the video they posted on YouTube, showing the hyena on a metal chain and muzzled to prevent it from biting. The video shows the men abusing the poor animal by pulling its tail and kicking it continuously.

Two of the Palestinian men had been arrested by police before for exactly the same crime of capturing a wild hyena, so it was easy for the IDF to locate the men.

A spokesman for the IDF said, “They claimed they had taken care of the animal and said they tied him up for their own protection.”

Having viewed the video, it was clear that the men were lying, and that they had clearly abused the hyena, which is still receiving medical care; vets have said it should be able to return to the wild within around three months.

The Ofer Camp Military Court extended the remand of the three men by an additional eight days, and the case is still being investigated. However, the authority hopes to bring abuse charges against the group, especially in light of the fact that the hyena is an endangered species.