Hebron: The scene of frequent Palestinian-Israeli violence

Three of the passengers were allowed to go.

The rest were made to drive past an olive grove to a secluded area.

The human rights group says the soldiers then beat one of the Palestinians severely, and the group says the soldiers forced the remaining men to hit each other.

In all, four Palestinians were treated in hospital afterwards.

Indictments expected

According to the Israeli army, three of the six soldiers arrested appeared before a military court yesterday, with the other three appearing in court today.

Indictments are expected to be filed next week.

What happened outside Hebron received widespread media coverage.

Human rights groups say it is another sign of the Israeli army's poor treatment of Palestinians.

But others defend the army, saying that the Palestinian uprising, or intifada, has placed great strain on young soldiers.