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Sat-nav sends elite soldiers into ambush

Two Israeli soldiers accidentally drove into a Palestinian refugee camp
Two Israeli soldiers accidentally drove into a Palestinian refugee camp

Israeli soldiers came under attack when their sat-nav system ­mistakenly led them into a Palestinian camp.

The two members of an elite military unit were driving back to their base on Monday night when they accidentally drove into Qalandiya, a refugee camp on the outskirts of Ramallah. Their car was set alight with a firebomb. One ­Palestinian man was killed and 15 others were injured during the fighting.

The Israeli army believes the soldiers became lost because they were relying on directions from a popular sat-nav app called Waze. One of the soldiers ­escaped on foot to a Jewish settlement. The army sent reinforcements to search for the second and he was found unharmed hiding in a garden.

Five members of the rescue unit were hurt when they came under attack from residents of the camp, who were armed with guns and petrol bombs.

One ­Palestinian — identified as Iyad Sajadiyya, 22, yesterday — was killed in the fighting, according to the Palestine Red Crescent, and ten others were hurt. Doctors said that Mr Sajadiyya, a ­journalism student, was shot in the head. It was not clear whether he was involved in the clashes.

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Israelis are forbidden from entering Palestinian-controlled parts of the West Bank and Waze, which attracts more than 50 million users, helps ­Israelis to ­circumvent those areas. Troops often ­disable the option to navigate around the occupied West Bank where streets are poorly signposted.

In September Waze led five ­American yeshiva students into a ­Palestinian-controlled part of Hebron. Their car was attacked with stones and a petrol bomb but they were soon rescued by a ­Palestinian man.