Entered Jericho for shopping with a one-year-old baby — and were interrogated under caution
A couple from Jerusalem entered the Palestinian city accompanied by their infant son for the purpose of shopping. The police located the three and guided them out of Area A, where they were detained for questioning. The incident joins a series of cases from recent months in which citizens entered Palestinian territories and were extracted from there.
A couple from Jerusalem and a one-year-old baby were extracted today (Tuesday) from Jericho after they entered the Palestinian city to go shopping. Upon leaving the city limits, the two were detained and interrogated under caution at the Jordan Valley police station.
The report regarding the family's entry into Jericho was received during the day. The couple, in their 30s and 40s, traveled to Area A together with their infant son with the goal of shopping in the city, as evidenced by documentation in which the woman is seen in local shops. Following the report, officers from the Jordan Valley station contacted the family and guided them safely out of the city. After they left the Jericho area, the parents were detained and interrogated under caution on suspicion of entering a closed military zone.
The police clarified that the entry of Israeli citizens into Area A is prohibited by law and constitutes a life-threatening danger. They further noted that this is a criminal offense for which the maximum penalty is one year of imprisonment, and that search operations in these areas also endanger the lives of security personnel.
The current incident continues a trend of citizens entering Palestinian Authority territories. Last May, six Israelis who rented a villa in the center of Jericho were extracted after local residents heard them speaking Hebrew and reported it. On the same day, 23 hearing and speech-impaired Israelis were extracted from Nablus after entering the city following an invitation to a meal by a local resident.
A month earlier, in April, three young women and a two-year-old toddler were extracted from Jericho after entering the city for vacation during the holidays, without being aware of the danger. In another case that occurred recently, a soldier on leave and his partner were extracted from the village of A-Ram after their vehicle got stuck in the mud, and they were guided by phone until forces arrived at the scene.
