A large joint force of IDF, police, and other security agencies conducted searches in the area of the village of Mukhmas in the Binyamin region of Judea and Samaria, according to a photojournalist on the scene. The purpose of the sweep and any results have not yet been reported.
Israeli security forces — including IDF troops and police — are continuing a large sweep of the village of Mukhmas in the Binyamin region this morning (Thursday). The operation follows a series of developments that began hours earlier, when contact was lost with a vehicle carrying Breslov Hasidic followers who had fled a police chase and driven into the village.
At approximately 04:00, a smashed empty Israeli vehicle was found in Mukhmas, prompting the IDF to declare a kidnapping alert, according to earlier reports The Zioneer published at 07:34 Jerusalem. By 06:40, one of the occupants reported that everyone had left the area, and security forces formally cleared the kidnapping suspicion — at which point the initial alert was lifted after all passengers were located safely. However, according to subsequent reports also published at 07:34, one passenger later reported that the group had been assaulted inside the village, and the Breslov followers were said to have returned on foot as searches continued as a precaution. The joint search operation now underway appears to be a precautionary follow-up.
The incident unfolded over roughly three hours: a police chase around 04:00, the vehicle overturning and occupants contacting police, the IDF establishing contact with those who exited by around 07:34, and the current sweep still ongoing at 08:12 Jerusalem. The initial accounts — from military correspondent Doron Kadosh and N12 — evolved from an unverified report to an on-record security official, with no official statement yet confirming the assault claim. The Zioneer's background context includes other routine but intelligence-driven counterterrorism operations in Judea and Samaria, such as weapons seizures (as reported on June 14) and overnight sweeps (June 14), but this event does not appear linked to those.
The passenger's assault allegation remains unverified, and no official statement from police or the IDF has been released regarding the nature of the assault, any injuries, or whether the individuals were harmed. The precise reason for the ongoing sweep — whether to investigate the alleged assault, secure the area, or locate remaining individuals — has not been specified by official sources.
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