At approximately 0630 EST, initial reports indicated a police search was underway for a 14-year-old Jewish boy that had last been seen in Binyamin, Israel. By 0900 EST, IDF units were spotted combing the local area for the teen.
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— ??? (@GLZRadio) April 12, 2024
Settler Violence Ensues
Israeli police and the IDF announced that the boy had gone missing while herding sheep. By 0930 EST, civilians published footage of armed Israeli settlers entering Duma, West Bank, reportedly to look for the boy. This is about 10 miles Northeast of Jerusalem where lines dividing Palestinian settlements and Israel settlements are convoluted at best. Clashes between armed groups were reported in al-Mughayyer, West Bank by 0940 EST, by which point a large IDF operation had been announced. Using ground and air forces, the IDF has closed several roads and are deploying surveillance teams to search for the boy.
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— ??? ????? ?????? (@idfonline) April 12, 2024
As of this publication, at least one resident had been killed, 10 had been injured, and three IDF troops had been injured during the clashes in al-Mughayyer.
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— ?????? ????????? ??????? (@PalinfoAr) April 12, 2024
IDF Stretched Thin
This incident, along with other instances of settler violence demonstrate the fraught tensions in the West Bank as the Israeli invasion of Gaza continues. Events like this can be a monumental challenge to the IDF which is spread between Gaza, Lebanon, and now deployed to defend its borders from an expected Iranian air attack any day. If the IDF cannot control the situation, the chances of a settler massacre will threaten to further enflame tensions.
