Authorities rescue Israeli shoppers, seize illegal monkey from residence in Jericho, West Bank

Israeli security forces rescued two Jerusalem residents and their one-year-old son who entered Jericho in Area A of the West Bank on Tuesday, likely to go shopping. Separately, authorities seized an illegally held grivet monkey from a Jericho home on Monday night, arresting a woman from Ramle in her 30s on suspicion of wildlife offenses.

Israeli security forces rescued two Jerusalem residents and their one-year-old son who entered Jericho, a city in Area A of the West Bank, on Tuesday, August 18, 2026. Police suspect the family entered the city to go shopping. Israeli citizens are strictly prohibited from entering Area A, which police described as "extremely dangerous and can be life-threatening." This follows a July 6 incident where ten Israelis were rescued from Kalkilya, and another rescue of a citizen who accidentally entered A-Ram. In a separate incident, on Monday night, authorities, alongside the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, rescued a grivet monkey from illegal captivity in a Jericho home. The monkey was transferred to the Israeli Primate Sanctuary in the Ben Shemen Forest. A woman from Ramle in her 30s was arrested and released subject to restrictions, suspected of offenses involving the trade, hunting, and illegal possession of a protected wild animal.