Israeli soldiers torch Palestinian flag in West Bank

Two Israeli soldiers burnt a Palestinian flag in the northern West Bank on Wednesday, an incident the Israeli army called "irregular."

The two soldiers found a Palestinian flag in one of the Palestinian cars they were searching near a checkpoint in the Palestinian village of Awarta, eight km southeast of Nablus in the West Bank. They, then, torched the flag.

In response, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesperson said the two soldiers acted in defiance of the military's protocol.

"From an initial investigation, this appears to be an irregular incident, in which troops acted against what is expected of them, and against the orders of their officers," the spokesperson said in a statement.

The spokesperson added that commanding officers were made aware of the incident, which had undergone an initial investigation, and that a disciplinary action will be in place.

One of the soldiers was disposed of his commanding position and was sentenced to 20 days in military prison, whereas the other soldier was detained to his base for 28 days, the Walla news website reported.

Israel occupied the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza Strip territories in the 1967 Mideast War. Israeli forces have expanded their operations in the West Bank in recent months, amid a wave of unrest which started in October and claimed the lives of 28 Israelis and nearly 200 Palestinians.

On a related matter, an Israeli military official was quoted by the Walla news website as saying that despite a substantial decrease in attacks carried out against Israelis in the West Bank (and across the country) last month, security forces are on high alert ahead of next week, in which many Israelis will celebrate the Jewish holiday of Passover.

An officer from the military's central command unit, in charge of the West Bank area, described the current situation as an "unstable truce", adding forces continue to receive alerts on lone-wolf attacks.

"We are getting ready for a substantial escalation in the situation ahead of the holiday season," the officer told the Israeli website. The military official also said the army plans to add 21 more battalions to the West Bank area during the holiday.

Israeli leaders claim the wave of violence that started in October is the result of incitement to violence by the Palestinian Authority. The Palestinians, on their part, blame the 49 years of Israeli occupation and the dim prospects of establishing a Palestinian state on the territories Israel occupied, as part of the two states solution. Endit