IDF says PA police fired shots at Israeli motorist, who tried to bypass West Bank checkpoint

The gunfire toward an Israeli motorist near the West Bank city of Nablus earlier today was carried out by Palestinian Authority security forces, the IDF says, adding that the incident was not a terror attack.

The military says that the Israeli man had mistakenly entered Nablus, and while trying to leave, accelerated around a PA checkpoint to bypass it.

The PA security forces, who were stationed at the checkpoint — within Area A of the West Bank, which is under PA civil and security control — opened fire at the car as it passed the checkpoint.

“Upon learning of the incident, the coordination and liaison mechanisms between the Israeli security establishment and the Palestinian mechanisms were immediately activated to examine the circumstances of the case,” the IDF says, adding that “the incident is being reviewed through dialogue conducted between the sides.”

Security officials again warn that entry into Area A is illegal for Israeli civilians under Israeli law and poses a serious danger to their lives.