Amid surging settler violence, Israeli civilian attacked two soldiers in Hebron, IDF says
Incident took place at Cave of the Patriarchs during annual pilgrimage, military says; soldiers lightly injured, given medical treatment
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Two IDF soldiers were lightly injured after being assaulted by an Israeli civilian in the West Bank city of Hebron late Friday, the military said.
The man, who was apparently drunk, attacked the two servicewomen near the Cave of the Patriarchs, according to the IDF.
The incident took place as thousands of Jewish Israelis spent the weekend at the landmark for an annual pilgrimage tradition. The cave is thought to be the site, mentioned in Saturday’s Torah portion, that Abraham purchased as a grave for his wife, Sarah. According to the Bible, the cave is the resting place of most of the patriarchs and matriarchs. It is also revered by Muslims as a holy site.
Following the assault on the troops, the IDF said, the soldiers and other security forces on the scene detained the suspect and handed him over to the police for further questioning. He is being held and will be brought to a court for a remand hearing on Sunday.
Both servicewomen were taken for further medical treatment, the military added.
The incident took place as Israeli settler violence in the West Bank has spiked. According to United Nations figures, the number of settler attacks on Palestinians in October, many of them surrounding the olive harvest, was the highest it has been since the tally began in 2006.
Overnight on Wednesday, a group of extremist settlers torched a West Bank mosque and graffitied it with hateful slogans.
The Times of Israel Community.