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5 Jewish youths nearly lynched after accidentally driving into Hebron

Five Jewish youths who accidentally drove into Hebron were pelted with stones, causing their vehicle to overturn.

By Lauren Marcus, World Israel News

Five Jewish youths were pelted with rocks by Palestinians after accidentally driving into Hebron early Thursday morning.

The group, from Jerusalem, was on its way to the Prophet Nathan’s tomb when the driver made a wrong turn around 3:00 a.m. at the East Halhul junction.

During the rock throwing attack, the driver lost control of the vehicle and it overturned. Two of the youths were lightly injured.

The situation could have easily ended in a lynching, according to the Walla news site.

The five were rescued by a Palestinian resident of Hebron, who took them back to the junction, where IDF troops were present. The two wounded youths were treated by IDF medics.

The incident comes on the heels of an announcement by Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas that the PA would cease all security cooperation with Israel if the annexation plan moves forward.

IDF officials have expressed concern over this threat, as situations like Thursday’s incident, in which Israelis accidentally enter PA-controlled territory, require intensive coordination between PA and Israeli security forces.

In the last year, several incidents have taken place in which Palestinian security forces have tracked down Israelis deep in the heart of PA-controlled areas, detained them, and returned them to Israeli authorities.

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If Abbas follows through on his threat, this level of cooperation will no longer be possible, likely leading to deaths of Israelis in areas where Israeli authorities can’t easily enter.

Two weeks ago, Israeli Border Policewoman Shani Orr Hama Kadosh was sent flying through the air after a Palestinian drove into her post at a Ma’ale Adumim checkpoint in an attempted ramming attack.

In May, 21-year-old IDF soldier Amit Ben Yigal was killed by a rock thrown by a Palestinian terrorist near Jenin.

In its 2019 annual summary of activity in Judea and Samaria, the IDF reported 1,469 stone-throwing attacks directed toward Israeli civilians.