Deaf Israelis Rescued from Shechem in Shabbat Incident
According to Israeli media reports, the group, described as secular Jewish Israelis, entered the city in six vehicles with Israeli license plates after being invited to a meal by a local resident who is also deaf.
Israeli and Palestinian Authority security officials averted a potentially dangerous incident Saturday after 23 deaf Israeli civilians were rescued from the center of Shechem.
According to Israeli media reports, the group, described as secular Jewish Israelis, entered the city in six vehicles with Israeli license plates after being invited to a meal by a local resident who is also deaf.
A local resident noticed the group moving through the city and alerted security officials. Palestinian Authority security forces then intervened, protected the Israelis and escorted them to a local police station.
From there, the group was transferred through coordination channels to Israeli Civil Administration officers. All 23 were safely removed from the city and handed over to Judea and Samaria District Police for questioning.
The Civil Administration is the Israeli military body responsible for civilian affairs and coordination in parts of Judea and Samaria. It regularly works with Arab authorities in incidents involving Israeli civilians who enter Palestinian-controlled areas.
Israeli officials again stressed after the incident that entry by Israeli civilians into Area A is illegal and dangerous, regardless of the reason for the visit or the identity of the hosts. Area A is under Palestinian Authority civil and security control, and Israeli civilians are barred from entering.
The rescue in Shechem came hours before another border-related incident, in which five Israeli civilians crossed several meters into Lebanese territory before being extracted by IDF troops operating in the area.
All five were detained and transferred to Israel Police, the military said. The IDF described the crossing as a serious criminal offense that endangered both the civilians and the security forces sent to retrieve them.
The incidents come amid growing concern over Israelis entering or attempting to enter sensitive border zones, including recent efforts by ideological activists to approach Israel’s borders with Syria and Lebanon while calling for renewed Jewish settlement beyond Israel’s recognized lines.