A potentially dangerous security incident was averted in the West Bank on Saturday after 23 deaf and mute Israeli civilians were rescued from the center of Nablus, Hebrew news reported.
The group, described as Jewish secular Israelis, entered the Palestinian city in six vehicles with Israeli license plates after being invited to a meal at the home of a local Palestinian resident, who is also deaf and mute, according to an initial probe into the unusual incident.
A Nablus resident spotted the group moving through the city and alerted local security officials. Palestinian security forces then intervened, provided them with protection, and escorted them to a local police station before transferring them to Civil Administration officers through coordination channels.
The Civil Administration is the Israeli military body that oversees civilian affairs and coordination in parts of the West Bank. Its officers often liaise with Palestinian authorities on security-related civilian incidents, including the safe return of Israelis who enter Palestinian areas.
All 23 Israelis were removed safely from the city and handed over for further questioning by the Judea and Samaria District Police.
המינהל האזרחי חילץ 23 ישראלים ממרכז שכם. מתחקיר ראשוני עולה כי מדובר בקבוצה של חירשים אילמים שהוזמנו לארוחה בביתו של פלסטיני, שגם הוא חירש אילם.
הם הגיעו לשכם בשישה כלי רכב עם לוחיות זיהוי ישראליות, ומקומי שהבחין בהם דיווח על כך לגורמי הביטחון.
(ניר דבורי וניצן שפירא, חדשות 12) pic.twitter.com/BJ9J0kfCF8
— חדר מלחמה (@waroomisrael) May 23, 2026
Growing concern over Israelis attempting to enter sensitive border zones
Following the incident, Israeli officials reiterated that entry by Israeli civilians into Area A is both illegal and life-threatening, regardless of the purpose of the visit or the identity of the hosts. Area A is the part of the West Bank under Palestinian Authority civil and security control, where Israeli civilians are legally barred from entering.
The Nablus rescue came hours before another border-related incident, in which five Israeli civilians crossed several meters into Lebanese territory before being returned by IDF troops operating in the area.
The IDF said the five were detained and transferred to Israel Police, calling the crossing a serious criminal offense that endangered both civilians and security forces.
The incidents come amid growing concern over Israelis entering or attempting to enter sensitive border zones, including recent efforts by ideological activists to approach Israel’s borders with Syria and Lebanon in calls for renewed Jewish settlement beyond the country’s recognized lines.
