A rising number of Israelis are illegally entering Area A in the West Bank, creating life-threatening situations that could end in lynching or murder, security sources told Walla on Sunday.
The officials said Hamas is driving incitement in these areas, while lone-actor attacks remain a concern. They urged Israelis to obey the law and avoid Palestinian Authority cities.
Security sources said every incident of an Israeli entering Area A carries the potential to inflame the sector. In the past year, several lynchings were narrowly averted thanks to rapid IDF intervention and coordination with other security bodies.
In one case, a person with disabilities was located inside a refugee camp near Gush Etzion, and in another, Palestinians chased and smashed an Israeli vehicle in Nablus.
Officials added that without deterrent measures against Israelis who knowingly break the law, the phenomenon will continue. They described the atmosphere in the West Bank as highly tense due to nationalist crime and ongoing incitement. One source said the current trajectory poses severe risks.
IDF assists Israelis who accidentally enter West Bank
On Thursday night, the IDF mounted exceptional efforts to extract a mentally unstable Israeli who entered Hebron.
On Friday, an Israeli woman entered Jericho and fled an apartment with eight Palestinians after realizing she was in a Palestinian city. She was rescued by Civil Administration officers with assistance from Palestinian security forces, and Israel Police opened an investigation.
Security officials said a series of recent cases across the West Bank illustrates the growing trend, including illegal or mistaken entries and dangerous confrontations in Kalkilya and Nablus.
They cited the August 2024 killing of Amnon Mukhtar in Kalkilya as a reminder of the potential consequences. “The next disaster is a matter of time,” one security source said.