Palestinian security forces alerted Israeli officials Wednesday evening that an IDF soldier in uniform had been found in the center of Tarqumiya, a Palestinian village in the southern Hebron Hills, officials said.
The military’s District Coordination and Liaison office, part of the Civil Administration, contacted its Palestinian counterparts, and troops in the area helped arrange a handover at a prearranged meeting point. The soldier was then transferred to Israeli liaison officers.
The handover of the soldier to the Civil Administration
The soldier was questioned by the commander of the regional brigade and later handed over to Israel Police, which transferred him to the Military Police Criminal Investigation Division.
The soldier, who is serving in the regular army, claimed he had been abducted and taken to the village, where he said he was removed from a vehicle before the vehicle fled.
Investigators believe the incident was criminal in nature, not security-related.
On Saturday, the Civil Administration rescued an Israeli civilian who entered the West Bank city of Qalqilya at night with a friend and was later abandoned there. Residents spotted the Israeli walking through the city and reported it to security officials.
Israeli officials again warned that entering Area A of the West Bank, which is under Palestinian civil and security control, is illegal for Israelis and can be life-threatening.