IDF soldiers, illustrative
IDF soldiers, illustrativeReuters

The two soldiers who mistakenly entered the Qalandiya refugee camp last night (Monday) did so by following directions from the GPS app Waze.

The pair were attempting to travel from Beit El to the Mitkan Adam base just north of Jerusalem, and mistakenly turned towards the Arab village of A-Ram.

Military officials say that they were in a private vehicle and were confronted by dozens of Palestinians throwing rocks and Molotov cocktails. The rioters even set fire to the car as the soldiers escaped.

One of the two entered a courtyard near the site of the confrontation, while the other fled towards the community of Kochav Ya'akov. He was found about an hour later without his radio, which raised suspicions in the army.

IDF Spokesman Brigadier General Moti Almoz told Army Radio, “We need to investigate what exactly happened there."

Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon (Likud) also commented on the incident, saying, “Two soldiers in a vehicle accidentally went from Jerusalem to Ramallah, through Qalandiya. They were pelted with rocks and Molotov cocktails. Overall, our forces responded quickly to end this difficult situation.

"They used Waze and I always said that, (even) when using GPS, you also need to know how to navigate with a map.”