On July 14 (local time), according to Xinhua, Israeli police arrested 5 of its citizens after clashes in Kifl Haris village, in the northern West Bank, when a group of Israelis entered the village without permission to perform prayers.
According to information from Israeli police and military, along with local media sources, about 100 Israelis from an extremist Orthodox Jewish sect entered Kifl Haris village before dawn without permission from functional forces.
This group said that their purpose was to pray at two tombs in the Bible that they believed were inside the village. They also said that they had never had access to this location before, so they organized the trip themselves.
The appearance of the Israeli group has sparked tensions with Palestinians in the locality. According to reports, during the clash, two Israeli citizens were slightly injured by stones thrown at them. In addition, many Palestinian vehicles were also vandalized.
Israeli military forces were only present at the scene after the group of Israelis left the village.
After conducting an investigation, authorities identified the identities of 5 Israelis, aged 16 to 20, related to the incident. These people were later arrested at the Hizma military checkpoint, located near Jerusalem.
Israeli authorities are continuing to investigate to clarify the entire developments as well as the responsibilities of related individuals.
In an official statement, the Israeli military assessed the arbitrary intrusion into the area as a serious act. According to the military, the incident not only increased the risk of insecurity for local residents but also affected the operations of security forces on duty in the West Bank.
The West Bank is an area that regularly witnesses tensions between Israelis and Palestinians, especially related to religious and historical sites.
Illegal intrusions or mass gatherings in sensitive areas all risk quickly leading to confrontation and violence, making the security situation in the region continue to be complicated.
