JERUSALEM, Jan. 28 (Xinhua) -- A Palestinian dressed as an Israeli soldier was captured and arrested on Sunday after he attempted to enter an Israeli settlement in the West Bank, the army said.

A military spokesperson said in a statement that a second Palestinian man, also dressed as an Israel Defense Forces soldier, escaped the scene.

"One of the suspects was apprehended. Troops are searching the area in order to locate the second suspect," the statement read.

The incident took place at Itamar, a settlement southeast of Nablus city.

The Israeli settlements in the West Bank are heavily guarded with fences and radar systems, and Israel does not allow Palestinians in unless they were issued with special work permits.

The incident came amidst heightened tensions in the region following U.S. President Donald Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

The statement, on Dec. 6, sparked a fresh wave of Palestinian protest and violence, which have claimed the lives of at least 12 Palestinians an Israeli man, local media reported.