13 foreign nationals deported for allegedly violating closed military zone order in West Bank

Thirteen foreign nationals who allegedly violated a closed military zone order in the West Bank have been deported from Israel, while another is awaiting deportation, also following a violation of a closed military zone order imposed by the IDF near the village of Lubban al-Gharbiya in the Ramallah area of the West Bank last week.

According to police, “following a report received over the weekend of a confrontation near a farm in the area, IDF forces were dispatched and arrested 14 foreign nationals suspected of involvement in the incident.”

Police say the suspects were detained and questioned “on suspicion of violating a lawful order and entering a closed military zone. Upon completion of their questioning, the investigation materials were transferred to the Population and Immigration Authority for review, a hearing and a decision regarding their deportation from Israel, as part of cooperation and efforts to prevent provocative activity.”

Their lawyer, Alon Sapir, tells The Times of Israel that the group consisted of 15 foreign nationals who had come to assist Palestinians with the olive harvest in the West Bank. When soldiers arrived at the scene, they presented the group with a closed military zone order that Sapir said had been issued for the area that same day.

One Australian woman who was also part of the group was removed from the area along with the others but was not deported, for reasons that remain unclear. According to the lawyer, one of those deported is a Portuguese journalist.

Footage circulating online shows the group being removed from the area by two settlers in civilian clothing, one of whom was carrying a rifle.

The IDF has yet to comment on the incident.

مستـ ـوطنون يطردون قاطفي الزيتون والمتضامنين الأجانب من أراضي قرية اللبن الغربي، شمال غرب رام الله. pic.twitter.com/pHt9cn4Fpo

— قناة القدس (@livequds) October 29, 2026