The Jerusalem District Court extended by five days the remand of a Palestinian resident of Al Azariya on Friday, on suspicion of kidnapping the village priest.

On Thursday evening, two masked men armed with pistols abducted the priest, who belongs to Greek Orthodox church, while he was travelling in his car. The kidnappers released two other people who were travelling with the priest. After they were released, the two contacted local police and gave them a detailed description of the kidnappers.

A Border Police patrol soon located the car carrying the priest and the kidnappers, who spotted the patrol and tried to flee on foot, leaving the priest bound in the car. A short time later, one of the kidnappers was arrested, following information gleaned from the priest's testimony.

Police believe that the suspect, an Israeli citizen, was planning on robbing the priest.