Police arrest owner, impound bus that illegally transported 50 Israelis into Nablus
The bus was transferred to a police facility under a newly signed IDF Central Command order that permits administrative seizure of vehicles used to enter Area A illegally.
A bus that unlawfully transported around 50 Israelis into Nablus in the West Bank was impounded for 30 days, and the manager of the transport company was arrested, Israel Police said over the weekend.
According to the West Bank District Police, the incident occurred on Thursday night when the group entered Nablus, which is part of Area A of the West Bank, without coordination or legal authorization, putting their lives at risk, police noted.
Following the breach, intelligence collected by the Ariel Police Station led security forces to locate the bus in the Beit Hanina neighborhood of Jerusalem.
The bus was impounded and transferred to a police facility under a newly signed IDF Central Command order that permits administrative seizure of vehicles used to enter Area A illegally, the police said.
The new order, according to security officials, is an enforcement tool aimed at curbing unauthorized incursions into restricted areas, which authorities say endanger lives and divert security forces from other critical operations, police added.
IDF soldiers are seen operating in Nablus, in the West Bank, July 3, 2025 (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON’S UNIT)
Police arrested the owner of the vehicle, a resident of east Jerusalem who also serves as the manager of the bus company, for questioning.
The identity of the driver is known to police, who said he will be summoned for questioning.
Five suspects, all Jerusalem residents, were detained during the incident, and four were released after questioning. One individual, previously arrested for a similar violation, was brought before a court and released under restrictions that barred him from entering the West Bank, according to the Israel Police.
Earlier incidents of illegal entry
In June, Palestinians and Israelis threw stones at each other after the Israelis entered Nablus without IDF coordination to visit Joseph’s Tomb.
Several Israelis were reportedly injured during the event.
Entry of Israeli civilians into Area A is “dangerous and prohibited by law,” the IDF emphasized.
