Israeli army reports possible kidnapping in West Bank, deploys troops

JERUSALEM

The Israeli military said on Monday evening that it had received a report of a kidnapping in the occupied northern West Bank.

“Recently, a report was received about a kidnapping incident in the Samaria area,” the army said in a statement.

Large numbers of troops were deployed, roads were closed and search operations were carried out.

According to the Hebrew daily Israel Hayom, the emergency hotline for West Bank settlements received witness reports of a vehicle arriving at the Tapuah Junction area, near the Za’atar military checkpoint, carrying a girl screaming for help.

According to Hebrew Channel 12, the army fired at the suspicious vehicle and arrested its occupants, but no further details were given.

The Yedioth Ahronoth daily noted, citing anonymous security sources, that Israeli security services had not yet confirmed the kidnapping, except through a hotline report.

However, there are Israeli troops and intelligence officers on the ground, taking the incident seriously and closing roads.

The incident came amid rising tensions in the West Bank, with increasing military operations and illegal attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinians.

Four Palestinians were injured in settler attacks in the village of Wadi Rahal in Bethlehem on Monday evening, the Palestinian Red Crescent said.

The number of Palestinians killed by the Israeli army in the West Bank has risen to 651, after five people were killed in an Israeli raid on the Nur Shams refugee camp in Tulkarm.

According to official Palestinian data, around 5,400 people have been wounded since the army expanded its operations in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, which coincides with the devastating war in Gaza that began on October 7 last year.

*Written by Alperen Aktas from Istanbul

The Anadolu Agency website contains only a portion of the news stories offered to subscribers of the AA News Broadcasting System (HAS), and they are in summarized form. Please contact us for subscription options.