Israelis routinely enter West Bank without military approval, senior IDF officer says

A senior IDF Central Command officer revealed that several Israelis routinely enter the West Bank for unapproved hikes each week, with the military often learning about them only after the fact. This issue was highlighted amid heightened tensions in the West Bank and concerns over potential terrorist attacks. The officer emphasized that the IDF permits hikes in areas under Israeli security and civilian control, provided they undergo a "very orderly process" of coordination with regional brigades.

"Some [hikes] are not approved and not coordinated," the officer said. "We only learn about some of them after the fact."

The comments followed a July 24 terrorist attack near the Palestinian village of Tal, where two soldiers were killed and others injured after responding to an attack on hikers who had entered the area without coordination. An investigation confirmed this specific hike was neither coordinated nor approved by the IDF, despite attempts by the brigade to clarify details which were met with a "lack of cooperation." The IDF stressed the importance of its coordination process, which includes organized security frameworks to ensure hiker safety, citing dozens of such approved events monthly.