Unarmed Palestinian detained in West Bank settlement, sparking infiltration alert
Man apprehended by civilian security guard in Asael in South Hebron Hills; Home Front Command told residents to shelter indoors, before giving all-clear
A Palestinian man was detained in the West Bank settlement of Asael on Saturday, the Israel Defense Forces said, noting that he was unarmed.
The man was apprehended by a civilian security guard in the community in the South Hebron hills. It was not immediately clear what he was doing there and the military later said he was not carrying a gun or a knife.
The incident sparked a “terror infiltration” alert from the Home Front Command, with residents told to immediately shelter indoors and lock all doors and windows.
They later issued an all-clear.
Hebrew media reports said the Palestinian man was “neutralized,” but did not give any further details.
Tensions between Israelis and Palestinians have been high across the West Bank for the past year and a half, with the military carrying out near-nightly raids, amid a series of deadly Palestinian terror attacks.
Since the beginning of this year, Palestinian attacks in Israel and the West Bank have killed 25 people.
According to a tally by The Times of Israel, 152 West Bank Palestinians have been killed during that time — most of them during clashes with security forces or while carrying out attacks, but some were uninvolved civilians and others were killed under unclear circumstances.
