Palestinian security forces rescued two Israelis who mistakenly entered Ramallah on Wednesday evening from an attempted lynch.
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Palestinian rioters surrounded the Israelis, Breslov Hassidim from the Shilo and Elad settlements, near Manara Square in the center of the city and set their car on fire. The driver and the passenger sustained minor injuries.
The Israelis were escorted out of the city and handed over to IDF forces at the Beit El checkpoint after the Palestinians were warned that if the two were not returned to Israel, IDF forces would enter Ramallah.
Video: Social media
Upon being questioned, the two claimed that they had wound up in Ramallah while trying to take a shortcut to Hashmonaim, near Modi'in. they said that when they reached Manara Square, the Palestinian crowd realized they were Israeli citizens and began to amass around their car, blocking them from driving away. The two said that the Ramallah residents began to throw rocks at them, as well as kicking their vehicle and beating it with rods. The mob also smashed the car's windows.
These reports were corroborated by Palestinian media reports.
Members of the Palestinian security forces arrived in a patrol car and helped the two men out of their car and into their own vehicle, then coordinated with the IDF Civil Administration to hand them over to Israeli forces at the Focus checkpoint outside the city.
The Israel Police reported that after the two were returned to Israel, they were asked why they entered Area A – which is under the control of the Palestinian Authority – in the first place. They claimed that they had planned to drive to the grave of Mattathias, located near Hashmonaim, but gotten lost and ended up in Ramallah.
The Israelis were released from custody.
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