IDF: Palestinian man tries to stab troops in northern West Bank, is shot dead
No soldiers injured; military says foiled attack occurred at the Gitai Avishar Junction, near the Ariel settlement; troops arrest suspect who was in car that transported assailant
Judah Ari Gross is The Times of Israel's religions and Diaspora affairs correspondent.
A Palestinian man attempted to carry out a stabbing attack in the northern West Bank on Friday morning but was shot dead by troops at the scene, the military said.
The Israel Defense Forces said it had launched a manhunt to find the car that drove the assailant to the scene.
According to the military, the attempted attack took place at the Gitai Avishar Junction, just outside the Ariel settlement in the northern West Bank.
“A Palestinian car drove near a military post at the Gitai Avishar Junction… A terrorist got out of the car with a knife in his hand and ran toward the bus stop in which there were civilians and soldiers,” the military said.
“IDF troops opened fire at the terrorist, killing him,” it said.
Photographs from the scene showed the alleged assailant on the ground next to a bus stop full of soldiers. He was taken to Petah Tikva’s Beilinson Medical Center in critical condition and was pronounced dead upon arrival.
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Hours after setting up roadblocks in the area, the military announced the arrest of a suspect who was in the car that transported the assailant to the scene.
An IDF statement said the suspect was unarmed and taken for questioning.
Recent weeks have seen a marked rise in violence by Palestinians against Israeli civilians and soldiers in the West Bank and Jerusalem, including a deadly shooting attack earlier this month.
The IDF has deployed additional soldiers to the area in an effort to prevent further attacks.
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