Israel Defense Forces detained a Palestinian who attempted to infiltrate the Judea and Samaria Division base near Beit El in southern Samaria on Wednesday, the military confirmed in a statement.
“A short while ago, a Palestinian resident attempted to infiltrate the Judea and Samaria Division base and was captured by the base’s security,” according to the IDF statement shared with JNS.
“The Palestinian was transferred to the security forces for questioning,” the IDF continued, adding: “There is no concern of a security incident.”
According to Hebrew media reports, the Palestinian who infiltrated the base was mentally ill, unarmed and known to security forces due to a previous attempt to illegally enter the premises several months ago.
In June, the army initiated disciplinary action against two soldiers who were tasked with guarding the Judea and Samaria Division base after a mentally ill Arab managed to climb the fence without being noticed.
In response to the June incident, the military said it decided to increase the buffer zone by creating a valley between the fence and the road around the base and adding other “security elements.”
The army base near Beit El houses the division’s headquarters, the Israel Border Police and offices of the Defense Ministry’s Civil Administration.
In January, several Palestinian infiltrators breached the outer perimeter fence of the IDF’s Central Command headquarters in eastern Jerusalem.
According to media reports, approximately seven Palestinians were identified at the scene, two of whom were caught by security forces.
IDF Central Command, which is based in eastern Jerusalem’s Shuafat neighborhood, covers Judea, Samaria, Jerusalem, the Sharon Plain, Gush Dan (Tel Aviv area) and the Shephelah (the Judean Foothills).
