Palestinian Security Service Employee Arrested for Alleged Kidnapping of Israeli Soldier in West Bank

Israeli police have arrested Walid Faroukh, a 49-year-old resident of the Palestinian Authority and employee of the Palestinian Security Service, on suspicion of kidnapping an active-duty Israeli soldier in Beersheba. The incident is believed to have a criminal motive. According to the investigation, Faroukh and an accomplice abducted the soldier, bound him, blindfolded him, and transported him to the Palestinian territories where they threatened him. The soldier was later released in an open area, injured and still bound, and was physically assaulted during the ordeal. He managed to free himself and reached a Palestinian police station before returning to Israel. The Beersheba Magistrate's Court extended Faroukh's detention by four days as the investigation continues.