Palestinians hand back Israeli soldier

The Palestinian Authority said it has handed over one Israeli soldier who got lost in the West Bank to the Israelis after he …

The Palestinian Authority said it has handed over one Israeli soldier who got lost in the West Bank to the Israelis after he was found near the city of Bethlehem.

Interior Ministry spokesman Tawfiq Abu Khoussa said the soldier had been handed to the Israeli liaison office.

An earlier report said a militant faction had claimed it was holding two Israeli soldiers in the city of Nablus, having earlier announced that it had killed them.

The Israeli army said it was still investigating whether there had been a kidnapping.