By Pesach Benson • May 13, 2026
Jerusalem, 13 May, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Israeli-Palestinian tensions rose early Wednesday morning after a flock of sheep was reported missing from a Jewish farm in the Binyamin region of Judea and Samaria.
Workers at the Tzur Levavi farm said they discovered a sheep pen had been cut open and that approximately 120–150 sheep were missing. According to Rafael, a local resident who assisted in the search, neighbors quickly mobilized after the report. “Dozens of neighbors dropped everything, left work, and went to help with the search,” he told The Press Service of Israel.
The workers followed tracks leading toward the nearby Palestinian village of Jiljilya. According to Hatzalah Without Borders–Judea and Samaria, a volunteer emergency response organization, the searchers later encountered a large group of residents in the area and withdrew.
Rafael said the sheep appeared to have been moved rapidly into the village. “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.”
The Press Service of Israel has learned that during the initial search, the Israeli workers spotted some of the missing sheep in the area.
The farm workers later returned to Jiljilya accompanied by Israel Police, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers, and officials from the Binyamin Regional Council.
Rafael said residents continued searching alongside security forces. “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 settlers and all the neighbors who came and helped, we found them very quickly and efficiently.”
He added that the rapid response was critical. “The reason everyone dropped everything and came to help search for hours and hours is because we understand that if we won’t take action immediately, the herd would get split and shipped all over the region. There would be no chance at all to find it.”
The animals were later located and returned to the Tzur Levavi farm.
