Palestinian police chief suspended for fixing Israeli soldiers' tire

A local Palestinian police chief has been suspended for helping Israeli soldiers fix a flat tire in the occupied West Bank.

Palestinian Authority Police spokesman Loae Izrekat said on Thursday that Col. Ahmad Abu al-Rub was suspended and referred to an "investigative committee."

Earlier this week, pictures emerged of the Hebron district chief helping Israeli soldiers' change their jeep's flat tire.

The images were widely shared on social media and sparked anger among Palestinians who considered it an act of collaboration with the Israeli occupation.

The Israeli military vehicle was apparently blocking a road and the Israeli soldiers were struggling to fix the tire when Abu al-Rub offered to help.

The incident reportedly took place near Yatta, a town near Hebron in the southern occupied West Bank.

Hamas and other factions in Gaza ridiculed the images, claiming they were humiliating for Palestinians.

Security coordination between the Palestinian Authority and Israel was a cornerstone of the 1993 Oslo Accords but is deeply unpopular with Palestinians, who say it facilitates the Israeli occupation.

Israeli military forces in the occupied West Bank routinely detain Palestinians, open fire on non-violent protests, and maintain a network of hundreds of checkpoints restricting movement across the territory.

The Palestinian Authority has threatened several times to cut security ties with Israel but has never followed through.

Agencies contributed to this report.