Group of deaf, mute Israelis extracted from Nablus after being invited for lunch

Twenty-three Israelis detained by Palestinian security forces after crossing into Area A city, which Israelis are prohibited from entering, then transferred to Israeli forces

A group of 23 deaf and mute Israelis were extracted from the West Bank city of Nablus by security forces on Saturday after they were reportedly invited there by a deaf and non-verbal Palestinian man in the city, the military said.

The Israelis explained that they had been invited by the Palestinian for a meal at his home, according to the Kan public broadcaster.

The report said that a local man was surprised to see the group of Israelis walking in the Palestinian-controlled city and had alerted local security forces.

The Israelis were detained by Palestinian security officers and then handed over to Israel, Kan said.

According to the Civil Administration, a branch of the Defense Ministry’s Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), which manages civilian affairs in the West Bank, the group entered the city in six vehicles bearing Israeli license plates.

Officers from COGAT’s Coordination and Liaison Administration provided the civilians with initial protection and coordinated their transfer to security forces, the Civil Administration said.

The incident will be investigated by West Bank District Police.

Security officials reiterated that entry into Area A of the West Bank is prohibited by law for Israeli citizens and poses a danger to their lives.

Under the 1995 Oslo II Accords between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank is divided into Area A, under full Palestinian control, Area B, under Israeli security control and Palestinian civilian control, and Area C, under full Israeli control.

Israelis have been repeatedly evacuated from the area in the last year, and PA security forces have assisted in such extractions more than a dozen times, mainly in cases where Israelis mistakenly enter the area.