Israeli forces overnight Tuesday escorted a woman and her daughter out of the Palestinian city of Bethlehem in Judea, Hebrew media reported.
An initial investigation found that the two entered the downtown area of Bethlehem intentionally, according to Israel’s Channel 12 News.
They were transferred to police for further handling.
This was the third case in 24 hours in which Israeli citizens entered Area A in Judea and Samaria, which is under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority. Civilian entry to Area A is prohibited by Israeli law.
“This poses a serious danger. Recently there has been an increase in the number of severe incidents occurring in [Area A],” a security official told Channel 12. “When necessary, responsibility for handling the matter is transferred to the police.”
Earlier on Tuesday, IDF troops were dispatched to the Palestinian town of Ni’lin, some 10.5 miles west of Ramallah, following a report that an Israeli woman had entered the village with her vehicle. The woman was located and safely evacuated, per Channel 12.
Also on Tuesday, IDF soldiers rescued two Israeli citizens who had mistakenly entered the Palestinian town of Husan, west of Bethlehem.
The Israel Police is investigating Palestinian reports that ultra-Orthodox Jews entered Nablus (Shechem) in Samaria illegally last week and ran over a young Palestinian with their vehicle, the report added.
