The Israel Defense Forces confirmed on Tuesday night the activation of an infiltration alert in the Israeli community of Hashmonaim, located near Modi’in but over the Green Line.
Residents of the town, located in the Binyamin region halfway between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, were instructed to remain in their homes, with their doors locked and lights off, until further notice.
Security forces closed off all entrances to Hashmonaim, in addition to prohibiting movement inside the community.
עמך אנוכי בצרה: במודיעין עילית עוקבים בדאגה אחר המחבלים שחדרו ליישוב חשמונאים הסמוך pic.twitter.com/j9H4CGYDhP
— מנחם קולדצקי (@nbjovsr88) September 19, 2023
According to Israel National News, the siren was activated after two suspicious vehicles entered the community.
About an hour after the alert was issued, residents were given the all-clear, with the IDF’s Home Front Command stressing that there was no security incident.
A spokesperson for the Binyamin Regional Council, in a statement cited by local media, commended residents for following the emergency protocol.
The alert came as Israeli forces and Palestinian terrorists fought in the Jenin refugee camp, the latest flare-up in the flashpoint northern Samaria region.
Israeli media reported that elite forces were spearheading the mission targeting a senior commander in the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, which is affiliated with Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah faction.
