Two masked men infiltrated the settlement of Na’ale in the West Bank through the security fence on Saturday night, Israeli public broadcaster KAN News reported.
Security forces first noticed the men walking the streets through the settlement’s security cameras at around 3:40 a.m., and followed them until they left about twenty minutes later, according to KAN. Rather than sounding infiltration sirens, WhatsApp messages were sent to residents to warn them of the ongoing situation.
“Two years after October 7, and there are still security failures that could have ended very badly if these were terrorists,” one resident told KAN.
“Late last night, a delayed report was received about masked suspects who infiltrated the settlement of Na’ale in the Binyamin Brigade sector,” the IDF told KAN regarding the incident, adding that military and police quickly arrived at Na’ale and conducted security searches until confirming that the “terrorists” had indeed left the settlement.
Further investigations revealed that the men had broken into multiple houses and stolen property, KAN reported.
Previous suspected infiltrations
Terror infiltration sirens sounded in Efrat in the West Bank at the beginning of August, when a vehicle with a stolen Palestinian license plate had not stopped for inspection at the gate and broken through.
Residents of Efrat were ordered to remain in their homes as security forces were dispatched to investigate the incident.
The vehicle made a U-turn and left the settlement without dropping off any additional individuals, according to the authorities.