Israeli Reservist Assaulted and Detained by Palestinian Police in West Bank's Area C

An Israeli reservist soldier was detained overnight by Palestinian Authority police at a checkpoint on the bypass road near Beitunia in Area C of the West Bank. The soldier recounted the incident, describing how he was stopped around 10 p.m. while driving from Dolev toward Route 443. Initially mistaking the checkpoint for an Israeli police post, he realized it was manned by armed Palestinian officers who then attempted to seize his weapon. During the struggle, he was pepper-sprayed and beaten before the officers managed to remove the magazine from his gun and confiscate it.

Following the altercation, the soldier was forcibly removed from his vehicle, handcuffed, and taken on a prolonged drive through Ramallah in a Palestinian police vehicle. At one point, he was allowed to contact an Israeli official to report his situation. Eventually, he was handed over to Israeli authorities, gave testimony at a police station, and reported ongoing pain and burning from the pepper spray and physical assault.

The soldier criticized the presence of Palestinian police in Area C, calling it "absurd." Through the legal aid organization Honenu, he filed a complaint with Defense Minister Benny Gantz and Central Command Chief Avi Blot, demanding action against the Palestinian officers involved. His attorney emphasized that the incident violated Israeli sovereignty and called for measures to prevent armed enemy forces from entering areas under Israeli control.

The Binyamin Regional Council condemned the Israeli Civil Administration's statement, which they said blamed the soldier for traveling in a dangerous area instead of focusing on the Palestinian police's actions. Council head Israel Gantz demanded the cancellation of the Oslo Accords and called for free Jewish settlement and movement in open areas of Judea and Samaria. He also urged immediate steps to open a secure route connecting the Gush Dolev-Talmonim bloc to Route 443.

This incident highlights ongoing tensions over jurisdiction and security enforcement in Area C, where Israeli and Palestinian authorities have overlapping claims and responsibilities.