IDF Soldier Rescued After Being Found Bound in Palestinian Town

Israeli police rescued an IDF soldier this morning, Thursday, from the Palestinian town of Tarqumiyah after receiving a report that he had been found handcuffed in the middle of the settlement. Police said the first assessment points to a criminal motive, and the case is expected to be transferred to the Military Police Criminal Investigation Division, known as Matzah.

According to the police statement, Palestinian security services reported seeing a person in an IDF uniform who was bound in the town. Officers from the Hebron station in the Judea and Samaria District moved quickly, coordinated with local forces, and took custody of the soldier. He was brought to a safe location and then transferred to the police station in Hebron.

Initial checks indicate the soldier is an active-duty serviceman from southern Israel and was unarmed at the time of the incident. Police currently believe he was in the Palestinian town because of a criminal dispute, not for security-related reasons. The investigation is still at an early stage, and no further details have been released about how he got into the Palestinian Authority area or whether anyone else was involved.