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TPS-IL on 13 May, 2026
Palestinians Stealing Sheep Spark Deadly Clash
Jerusalem, 13 May, 2026 (TPS-IL) -- A flock of sheep stolen from a Jewish farm triggered a clash on Wednesday in which a Palestinian teenager was killed and several others were injured during confrontations between Palestinians and Israeli security forces in the village of Jiljilya.
Workers at the Tzur Levavi farm, an unauthorized agricultural outpost in the Binyamin region of Judea and Samaria, discovered that a sheep pen had been cut open and that approximately 120 sheep were missing.
According to Rafael, a local resident who joined the search effort, neighbors quickly mobilized after the theft was discovered.
“Dozens of neighbors dropped everything, left work, and went to help with the search,” Rafael told The Press Service of Israel.
He said the sheep appeared to have been rapidly moved into the nearby Palestinian village of Jiljilya.
“The herd was taken to the Palestinian village and they did everything to hide the herd,” he said. “They marched them very fast with no water or food on a very hot day. The sheep were put in lots of houses. We found about five houses with sheep that were stolen this morning.”
Rafael said the urgency of the response stemmed from concern the animals would be dispersed quickly.
“We understood that if we won’t take action immediately, the herd would get split and shipped all over the region,” he said. “There would be no chance at all to find it.”
The workers followed tracks toward Jiljilya, where some of the missing sheep were found. According to Hatzalah Without Borders–Judea and Samaria, a volunteer emergency response organization, searchers were confronted by a large number of Palestinians and a clash broke out.
TPS-IL learned that Israeli workers initially identified some of the missing sheep in the area before security forces arrived.
Security Forces Respond
Farm workers later returned to Jiljilya accompanied by soldiers, police officers and officials from the Binyamin Regional Council.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed that Israeli civilians entered Jiljilya after the sheep were reported stolen from the farm. The Palestinian Authority has administrative and security jurisdiction in Area A of Judea and Samaria.
The IDF said forces worked to remove Israeli civilians from the village, prevent further clashes, and recover the sheep. Three suspects in the theft were arrested and transferred to Israel Police for investigation. Residents continued searching alongside security forces, Rafael said.
“We worked hand in hand with the police and the army to search around the village and to find tracks,” he said. “Thanks to the determination of the residents and all the neighbors who came and helped, we found them very quickly and efficiently.”
All of the sheep were eventually located and returned to Tzur Levavi.
Israeli human rights organization B’Tselem said a 16-year-old Palestinian boy was killed during clashes. The IDF statement did not confirm any fatalities, but a military source told TPS-IL that the teenager was shot when security forces were attacked by stone-throwers while leaving Jiljilya.
Palestinian Authority officials identified the deceased as 16-year-old Youssef Kaabneh.
The same military source also told TPS-IL that around 10 Palestinians were injured by sponge-tipped bullets during the broader search operation.
The incident is under investigation by the IDF.
