Female officer rescued after entering Palestinian town near Hebron to meet boyfriend

The inquiry determined that the officer had crossed into Yatta, an Area A city where Israeli citizens are barred from entry without prior coordination because of security risks.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

Israeli security forces on Thursday recovered a Border Police officer after she entered a Palestinian-controlled city in Judea and Samaria without authorization, triggering a search and coordination effort involving both Israeli and Palestinian officials, VIN reports.

Authorities said the officer, whose name was not released, lost contact with her unit after traveling toward the southern Hebron Hills earlier in the day.

Security services launched a rapid response that combined ground searches with a review of surveillance footage from key junctions in the area.

The inquiry determined that the officer had crossed into Yatta, an Area A city where Israeli citizens are barred from entry without prior coordination because of security risks.

According to officials, the officer had arranged to meet her Palestinian partner, a resident of the city.

After Israeli forces established her location, security officials contacted Palestinian counterparts and reached the partner directly.

He later drove the officer out of the city and transferred her to Israeli forces at a location outside the urban area. She was returned safely and taken for questioning as part of a disciplinary and security review.

The incident began near Elias Junction, close to Kiryat Arba, where the officer reportedly accepted a ride from a Palestinian driver. Contact with her was lost shortly afterward, raising immediate concern given the sensitivity of the area and the prohibition on Israeli entry into Area A zones.