Palestinian Authority hands over Israelis who entered Nablus 'by mistake'

The Palestinian Authority's security forces on Tuesday handed over two Jewish Israeli women and their children to Israeli forces from Nablus' Old City after they entered by mistake.

Dozens of young Palestinian men on Monday surrounded a vehicle in which the Israeli settlers and two children were brought inside by an unidentified man. 

The men were part of the Lion's Den group, an activist group that operates in the occupied West Bank that protects Palestinians and their property from frequent attacks by Israeli settlers.

Local media reported that the five individuals detained by the group were settlers and that the two women and two children were handed over to Palestinian security forces shortly after.

"Our message to the occupation forces is that we don't kill women and children, but we are warning the settlers that attack Palestinians that they will be treated accordingly," Lions' Den said in a statement.

The Palestinian Authority security forces promised to hand the individuals over safely to occupying Israeli forces.

Israeli settlers have recently increased incursions into Nablus and attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank city under the protection of illegal Israeli occupying forces.

عاجل| أجهزة أمن السلطة تستخدم مركبات عسكرية مصفحة لإنقاذ مستوطنين احتجزهم المواطنين في نابلس pic.twitter.com/HZiV7od3KC

— فلسطين أون لاين (@pl24online) October 4, 2022

Settlers closed off roads leading to Nablus on Monday and Tuesday mornings to perform religious rituals marking Jewish holidays. 

Talmudic prayers were also performed at checkpoints surrounding Nablus and were prevented from entering Joseph's Tomb by the Lion's Den.