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Police warn of spike in crimes against Israelis shopping in Palestinian areas

Israelis are being warned not to visit Area B in Judea and Samaria, which is under Palestinian Authority control, and where they face a growing threat of being mugged by Palestinians.

Israel’s police warned Sunday that Israelis who travel to Judea and Samaria’s Area B, which is under Palestinian administrative control, with the hope of saving money while shopping, expose themselves to the risk of being mugged by Palestinians.

“We urge Israelis to exercise discretion and refrain from traveling to the area unnecessarily,” a police source stated.

Area B has been under Palestinian civil control and shared Israeli-Palestinian security responsibility since the signing of the 1993 Oslo Peace Accords.

Israelis, especially Israeli-Arabs, frequent Palestinian villages for their cheaper auto repair shops, car wash facilities, nurseries and shops that are considerably lower-priced than their Israeli counterparts.

While Israelis are barred from entering Area A, which is under full Palestinian control, due to the imminent threat posed by such travel, there are no travel restrictions regarding Area B.

Nevertheless, both the IDF and Israel’s police have repeatedly warned that Israelis traveling to Palestinian villages in Area B run the risk of being victimized in criminal or terrorist attacks.

By: JNS.org and World Israel News Staff