Border Police Officer Rescued After Entering Palestinian Town to Visit Partner; Haredi Man Extracted from Nablus

HEBRON (VINnews) — Israeli security forces successfully located and rescued a female Border Police officer who had voluntarily entered the Palestinian-controlled town of Yatta in Area A, near Hebron, to visit her Palestinian partner, authorities said Thursday.

The incident began when the officer, whose identity has not been released, hitched a ride with a Palestinian driver near Elias Junction, close to Kiryat Arba. Contact with her was lost shortly afterward, prompting an intensive search operation involving security forces and review of area camera footage.

Investigations revealed that the officer had entered Yatta — an area under full Palestinian Authority control where Israeli citizens are prohibited from entering without coordination due to security risks — in violation of regulations.

Security officials coordinated with Palestinian authorities and contacted the officer’s partner, a resident of Yatta. The partner subsequently transported her out of the town and handed her over to Israeli forces outside the city. She is currently being questioned by authorities.

In a separate incident, Civil Administration forces rescued a Haredi Jewish man who had entered the city of Nablus (Shechem) without coordination to pray at Joseph’s Tomb and became lost.

Israeli civilians are barred from entering Area A without military escort for safety reasons. Both individuals were extracted safely, with no injuries reported.