Two Israelis Escape Attack by Palestinian Mob in Ramallah

JERUSALEM, Israel – Two Israelis were attacked by a mob and their car was set ablaze Wednesday night in the Palestinian city of Ramallah, according to the Israeli military.

Footage from the incident appears to show a large crowd of Palestinians surrounding a burning Israeli car in Ramallah’s Al-Manara Square. The pair were escorted to safety by Palestinian security forces.

“The citizens left accompanied by Palestinian security forces in coordination with the [Israeli] security forces in the area,” the Israel Defense Forces said.

They were lightly injured during the attack. The pair were later questioned by Israeli police and then released from custody.

It is unclear how the two Israelis found themselves in Ramallah. Ramallah is located in the West Bank – biblical Judea and Samaria – and is the de facto capital of the Palestinian Authority. Israelis are banned by the Israeli military from visiting areas under Palestinian control due to safety concerns.

Police identified the Israelis as belonging to the West Bank settlement communities of Shiloh and Elad.

Israeli media reported that they apparently drove to Ramallah by mistake.

***Please sign up for CBN Newsletters and download the CBN News app to ensure you keep receiving the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.***

The Hamas terror group that governs the Gaza Strip praised the attack as an “act of resistance.”

“This must continue with force and spread all across the West Bank,” said Hamas spokesperson Fawzi Barhoum.

Barhoum also criticized the Palestinian security forces for regularly coordinating with Israel to prevent terror attacks, and for rescuing the two Israelis.

“The duty of the PA security services is to protect our people from settler attacks and to confront them side by side, not to safeguard them and return them to the enemy,” Barhoum said.

The remainder of this article is available in its entirety at CBN