Israeli media and security sources reported on Thursday evening that
one settler was apparently abducted in Betar Illit settlement, south
of Jerusalem. The report was not officially confirmed.
Israeli Jerusalem Post reported on its online edition that a security officer told the Israeli police that an eight-year old girl informed him that she saw a haredi (religious) man was dragged by two Palestinians into a vehicle near Kafer Na'alin village.
According to the child, she saw the incident from her bedroom.
The Jerusalem Post added that military trackers found signs on the ground that apparently indicate that someone was forcefully dragged.
The army did not confirm that an abduction took place, but said that it will continue to look into the issue as policemen and security personnel initiated searches.
Israeli Channel 9, run by settlers was the first to announce the information before it was published by several media outlets including the Israeli TV.
Head of Betar Illit council, Yitzhak Fedros, said that the issue might be a dispute between guards in the settlement.
The Palestinian Maan News Agency reported that the army imposed curfew over Nahhalin Palestinian village, close to the settlement, installed checkpoints and carried searches in the area.
A Palestinian security source in Bethlehem said that the whole issue might be “Israeli propaganda that aims to divert the world's attention from Beit Hanoun and the military assaults against the civilians there”.
“It seems they succeeded”, he added, “Even us are now talking about this issue instead of Beit Hanoun”.
