File photo
Photo: George Ginsburg
A Palestinian Islamic Jihad member escaped IDF custody on Tuesday afternoon, hours after he was arrested near Bethlehem.
An initial investigation found that the Palestinian detainee asked and received permission from one of the soldiers guarding him to use the restroom.
He then took advantage of several moments in which the soldiers were distracted to flee an IDF post and disappear.
He was caught again on the night between Tuesday and Wednesday and taken for questioning by the Shin Bet.
The Palestinian was arrested when IDF soldiers stopped suspicious vehicles in the Bethlehem area and for random searches.
In one of the searches, the soldiers detained for questioning the suspect, because he has a past record of security-related offenses.
The soldiers who allowed the detainee to escape were reprimanded.
The IDF's Spokesperson's Unit said about the incident: "The detainee escaped a military post and was arrested again by security forces overnight. The incident was investigated and lessons have been learned."