A harrowing incident unfolded Thursday afternoon in the West Bank city of Jenin after a mother and her eldest son from the Samaria Regional Council accidentally entered the Palestinian-controlled city following a GPS navigation error, according to reporting from Kikar HaShabbat. The two were attacked by dozens of Palestinians but escaped without physical injury due to the mother's composure and real-time guidance from an emergency dispatch center.
The mother and son were driving toward Afula to meet friends when their navigation application silently directed them into Jenin without warning or prior indication. They did not realize they had entered the restricted area until their vehicle became caught in heavy traffic in the city center. Entry into Area A, under full Palestinian Authority control, is prohibited by Israeli law and carries immediate danger for Israeli citizens.
When traffic began to clear, dozens of local Palestinians identified the Israeli license plate on the vehicle. Within seconds, an angry mob assembled around the car. According to Kikar HaShabbat's reporting, the crowd began hurling stones, concrete blocks, and bricks at close range toward the vehicle, attempted to physically block its path, and made active efforts to open the car doors to harm the occupants. The sustained barrage of stones caused significant external damage to the vehicle, including the complete shattering of the rear window.
Under genuine threat to their lives, the mother demonstrated remarkable composure. She immediately placed an urgent call to the security hotline of the Samaria Regional Council. Dispatchers remained with her continuously on the line, providing precise real-time instructions on how to navigate through the crowded streets and away from danger zones.
Acting on the dispatchers' guidance, the mother pressed the accelerator, accelerating the vehicle with full force and managed to escape the mob and exit Jenin. The two continued driving rapidly until they reached the Gilboa (Jalama) Crossing, where security and medical teams were already positioned. Both arrived in good health and uninjured, despite the violent attack.
Immediately upon receiving the report and the arrival of the civilians at the crossing, IDF special forces and combat troops launched a focused operational response in Jenin. The forces went directly to the scene of the attack, closed shops and businesses in the surrounding area, and began field investigations and arrests of suspects suspected of involvement in the incident.
