Israeli army reports possible kidnapping in West Bank, deploys forces

JERUSALEM

The Israeli army said late Monday that it had received a report of a kidnapping in the northern occupied West Bank.

"A short while ago, a report was received regarding a kidnapping incident in the Samaria area,” the army said in a statement.

It added that a large number of forces were deployed, roads were closed and searches were conducted.

The Hebrew daily Israel Hayom reported that 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 with a girl inside screaming for help.

The Hebrew Channel 12 said the army fired at the suspected vehicle and arrested those inside, without providing further details.

The Yedioth Ahronoth daily, citing unnamed security sources, noted that Israeli security agencies had not yet confirmed the kidnapping except for the hotline report.

However, Israeli forces and intelligence officers have been deployed in the area, taking the incident seriously and closing roads.

The incident occurred amid rising tensions in the West Bank, with increased military operations and illegal Israeli settler attacks on Palestinians.

On Monday evening, four Palestinians were injured in settler attacks in the village of Wadi Rahal in Bethlehem, according to the Palestine Red Crescent Society.

The number of Palestinians killed by the Israeli army in the West Bank has risen to 651 following the killing of five people in an Israeli strike on the Nur Shams refugee camp in Tulkarm.

Around 5,400 people have also been injured since the army expanded its operations in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, coinciding with the devastating war on Gaza that began on Oct. 7 last year, according to official Palestinian data.

*Writing by Alperen Aktas from Istanbul