‘Israeli’ soldier enters Palestinian village in uniform to visit boyfriend

• An ‘Israeli’ Border Police officer entered Yatta voluntarily to meet a Palestinian man she was romantically involved with.
• Palestinian security later coordinated her handover to ‘Israeli’ forces, according to Srugim, a Hebrew news outlet.

An ‘Israeli’ Border Police officer entered the Palestinian city of Yatta, south of Hebron, in her military uniform, without notifying her unit in order to meet a Palestinian man she was romantically involved with, according to Srugim, a Hebrew news outlet.

The officer left her base and traveled to Yatta of her own free will, which was a move that violated standing military orders and 'Israeli' law prohibiting citizens from entering Palestinian-controlled territory.

After contact with her was lost for several hours, ‘Israeli’ security agencies launched an extensive search amid "fears she may have been abducted or harmed," according to The Jerusalem Post.

Read more: ‘Israeli’ soldier mocks Gazans with Christmas artillery message

‘Israeli’ forces reviewed surveillance footage from streets and commercial areas in and around Yatta. The footage confirmed the officer had entered the city, which is classified as Area A under the Oslo Accords, where ‘Israeli’ citizens and soldiers are prohibited from entering without coordination.

The discovery prompted ‘Israeli’ authorities to contact Palestinian security services to help locate the officer, according to Srugim.

Palestinian security officials coordinated with the Palestinian man involved in the relationship. He later escorted the officer to a designated handover point, where she was transferred to ‘Israeli’ security forces.

‘Israeli’ officials later confirmed during questioning that the officer had traveled to Yatta voluntarily to simply spend time with her partner.

Read more: Palestinian female detainees face escalating abuse in Damon

Some ‘Israeli’ media outlets, including Yedioth Ahronoth, framed the incident as a “rescue” operation. The outlet reported under the headline, “Border Police soldier rescued from Palestinian village near Hebron”, claiming the soldier was extracted  from Yatta after arriving there with a Palestinian resident. 

Investigation continues

The officer was questioned following her return, and an internal investigation was opened to determine whether disciplinary action would be taken. Her identity has not been made public.

‘Israeli’ authorities reiterated that unauthorized entry into Area A poses serious security risks and violates standing military orders, according to Hebrew reports.