The IDF announced overnight Tuesday that the suspicion of a kidnapping incident at Tapuach Junction in Samaria had been ruled out. Throughout the evening, reports came in of a young woman who was seen in the back seat of a vehicle screaming for help. After searches, the suspect vehicle was located, two PA Arabs who were traveling in it were questioned and it appears that they had nothing to do with a kidnapping.
This was our earlier report:
After the vehicle had been examined, the IDF announced that no kidnapping had taken place.
IDF soldiers were deployed to an area in Samaria after reports of a suspected kidnapping late Monday night.
“Upon receiving the report, forces were dispatched to the scene and are blocking routes and conducting searches in the area,” the IDF said, adding the details were “under review.”
It was later determined the be a “false alarm,” the IDF said.
Unconfirmed reports described a “dark silver” colored vehicle that arrived at the Tapuach Junction and said that a female passenger seated behind the driver — variously described as a girl or a woman — opened the door and screamed for help before the vehicle drove away.
Blockades were placed at the Alon Junction and throughout the Binyamin/Beka’a sector.
החשד לחטיפה בשומרון: לאחר בדיקה נוספת, המדווח בן 17 מוסר לגורמי הביטחון כי שמע צעקות הצילו מרכב שהגיע מכיוון דרום לצומת תפוח, האט ושמע צעקות הצילו של בחורה מתוכו.
לאחר מכן לטענתו הרכב נסע לכיוון הבקעה.
גורמי ביטחון נכון לרגע זה מטילים ספק באמינות האירוע.— הלל ביטון רוזן | Hallel Bitton Rosen (@BittonRosen) August 26, 2024
Israeli military correspondent Hillel Biton Rosen subsequently reported, however, that security officials “doubt the credibility of the event” after initial investigation.
The Beit Aryeh-Ofarim Regional Council likewise told residents in a statement at around midnight that it was still not clear whether in fact a kidnapping had occurred.
“The person who reported this was a citizen who recognized a vehicle with a Palestinian identification plate from which a vehicle opened and a woman yelling in Hebrew “Save me,” the council wrote in its message.
“The citizen immediately called the security forces as soon as the incident occurred and from past experience they do not facilitate incidents of this type and all the forces were rushed to the scene in order to rule out a kidnapping incident.
“It is important to emphasize there is no final verification that this is a kidnapping incident. At this stage, everything is based on hearsay, there are no additional indications and the suspicion has not been verified, but the IDF does not take any risks and is investigating in depth.”
