Knife-carrying Palestinian arrested outside Hebron’s Jewish enclave

A knife-carrying Palestinian man was arrested by Israeli forces on Saturday outside the Jewish enclave in the West Bank city of Hebron, the army said.

The man was detained at an IDF checkpoint after soldiers found a knife in his possession.

The suspect was then handed over to security forces for questioning over suspicions he planned to carry out a terror attack.

The flashpoint city of Hebron, where Palestinians live in close proximity to settlers who are guarded by Israeli troops, has been the scene of numerous stabbings and attempted stabbings since a wave of attacks carried out by Palestinians began in October 2015.

The Saturday night arrest came as the Jewish holiday of Purim got under way, when dressed up revelers flood parties, concerts and festivals by the thousands.

The army has put a closure on the West Bank for the duration of the holiday, barring Palestinian from entering Israel.