Israel moves to deport 14 foreign activists police say came to the West Bank to provoke clashes

Israel Police said Sunday that 14 foreign nationals and three Palestinians were detained on Saturday on suspicion of involvement in disturbances near Ras Karkar in the West Bank, The Jerusalem Post reported.

IDF troops and Border Police officers were sent to the scene in Samaria after a report of a disturbance and detained 17 suspects for involvement in the disturbance and violating a lawful order, according to the police statement.

Investigators suspect the foreign nationals traveled to the area "to provoke confrontations and clashes on the ground and promote media campaigns against Israel," intended to attract international attention, police said. Several are believed to support the BDS movement.

After questioning, police said they had established an evidentiary basis for the suspicions and passed the 14 foreigners' files to the Population and Immigration Authority, which will hold hearings on deporting them. The step was coordinated with the Foreign Ministry and the Interior Ministry. The investigation into the remaining suspects is ongoing.