A girl was found safe and healthy on Monday and returned to her mother shortly after the family car was stolen with her inside, Hebrew media reported.

The car theft took place in Nabi Ilyas in the western West Bank, where the Arab-Israeli family was on a shopping trip.

Security forces initially feared that the 8-year-old girl had been intentionally kidnapped or taken hostage, the reports said.

The Israel Defense Forces rushed troops to the area and set up checkpoints.

About 20 minutes after the car was stolen, the girl was found inside Nabi Ilyas, which lies some two kilometers (1.2 miles) east of Qalqilya.

According to Ynet, police believe the car thieves stopped, let the girl out, and then continued driving.

The criminals have not been caught, and are suspected to have fled to the nearby town of........

© The Times of Israel