IDF demolishes monument previously damaged by MK Zvi Sukkot during West Bank ops - report

OCTOBER 31, 2026 02:54The IDF launched a counterterrorism operation in the Nablus area of the West Bank Monday night, targeting wanted suspects, weapons, and monuments commemorating terrorists, including a monument that Religious Zionist Party MK Zvi Sukkot damaged in August, KAN News reported Tuesday.The operation also included the arrest of wanted suspects and searches for weapons, according to the IDF.In August, Sukkot and several others were filmed damaging the monument in the village of Madama while accompanied by Israeli soldiers.The monument appeared to be in honor of members of the al-Aqsa brigade and Palestinians killed in the intifada.Sukkot defended his actions, saying at the time that he had repeatedly appealed to the IDF to remove monuments glorifying terrorists in the West Bank.MK Zvi Sukkot and several others seen smashing a monument in in Kafr Madama near Nablus, August 25, 2026. (credit: SCREENSHOT/X, SECTION 27A COPYRIGHT ACT)"Every child who sees every day a giant monument that glorifies murderers of Jews will dream of being a terrorist," Sukkot said in a post on X/Twitter in August.He claimed that he had taken action after appealing to the IDF several times to remove the "terror monuments throughout the area," and that destroying the monument in the village was "a small taste."“There is no place for support of terror in the State of Israel!" he wrote.The IDF subsequently condemned the incident, saying Sukkot and those accompanying him had acted without authorization and violated the terms of their coordinated visit.The military said at the time that it regularly removes monuments and symbols of incitement, subject to the necessary approvals and coordination with the Civil Administration.Netanyahu, Eisenkot, Bennett condemned Sukkot's actions in AugustPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned Sukkot's unauthorized destruction of the monument in August, emphasizing that the IDF was responsible for maintaining security and carrying out government decisions in the West Bank."The IDF is the sovereign authority in Judea and Samaria and is responsible for implementing the decisions of the political echelon," Netanyahu said at the time."Taking the law into one's own hands, particularly by public figures, is unacceptable and hinders the IDF from focusing on its missions against terrorism and incitement."Yashar leader Gadi Eisenkot also criticized Sukkot, calling him a "violent provocateur" and accusing him of misleading the military and damaging Israel's security and international standing.Sukkot's actions also drew criticism from B'Yachad leader Naftali Bennett, who accused Netanyahu's government of "undermining Israel's security and Israel's standing in the world just to rack up views on TikTok."Palestinian village leader warns Sukkot's actions could fuel violenceKafr Madama village council head Rami Nassar warned at the time that Sukkot's actions could encourage further violence against Palestinian residents.“When an official Israeli politician acts like this, what can we expect from other radical settlers? It could push them to follow in his footsteps, leading to more raids and causing harm and harassment to residents and their property," Nassar said.Nassar also criticized Netanyahu's condemnation of the incident, arguing that "words are not enough" and calling for measures to protect Palestinian residents from further incidents.Miriam Sela-Eitam, Shir Perets, Avi Solomon, and Dana Ben-Shimon contributed to this report.Follow us on Google