Police and IDF Clash Over Palestinian Family's Return to Jalud

Tensions between the Israeli police and the military have escalated following an operation to return a Palestinian family to their home in the West Bank village of Jalud. Police claim the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) did not coordinate the operation with them in advance, leading to severe riots. Had the operation been coordinated, police assert, they could have prepared the area and prevented rioters from reaching the village.

The IDF has rejected the police's criticism, with a military source stating the police "have never dealt with ongoing nationalist crime incidents" and are currently focused only on "proactive arrests." During the riots, over 100 Israelis reportedly arrived at the scene, blocking roads, setting tires ablaze, throwing stones at security forces, and damaging Palestinian property. Three Border Police officers sustained minor injuries, and a security vehicle was damaged. The attempt to return the family to their home was ultimately unsuccessful due to the unrest.

The family had been forced to leave their home in Jalud following a series of incidents described as nationalist crime. Earlier this month, the High Court of Justice ordered the state to coordinate and secure the family's return, after they claimed to have left due to months of invasions, threats, and property damage.

This latest dispute follows a recent public disagreement between the police and the IDF regarding a tunnel discovered in Qalqilya. The police insisted it was a tunnel dug underground, while the IDF initially denied its existence, calling the police's statements "irresponsible." A police commander retorted that he would not take "grades from the IDF spokesperson," attributing the dispute partly to a "credit gap."