Israeli Forces Launch Search After Breslov Hasidim Flee Into Palestinian Village

Early in the morning, Israeli security forces conducted extensive searches in the Palestinian village of Muqamas in the Benjamin Brigade area following reports of several Breslov Hasidim who had entered the village and lost contact. The forces aimed to rule out any security incident after a vehicle carrying about nine Hasidim entered Nablus without authorization and then headed toward Jerusalem. Near the settlement of Ofra on Route 60, the group committed a serious traffic violation, prompting a police chase. According to the Benjamin Regional Council, the vehicle fled into Muqamas, where one passenger called the police reporting an attack in the village. Upon arrival, forces found the vehicle empty, damaged, and broken. Communication with the passengers was lost, leading the IDF Chief of Staff to declare a high-level kidnapping protocol.

After about an hour and a half, the caller was located in Jerusalem via phone tracking, accompanied by another passenger. Both refused to disclose who else had been in the vehicle, causing Israeli forces to continue searching the village. According to reports from Galei Tzahal, the IDF managed to contact several worshippers who had left the village independently, confirming that all who had been with them had exited the area. The IDF continues to verify that everyone has left Muqamas. A security official stated that the initial kidnapping suspicion arose because the damaged, empty vehicle was found in the village, but this suspicion has since been dismissed.