IDF: Palestinian man detained with loaded homemade gun in Gush Etzion
Footage shows suspect hurling molotov cocktail near Migdal Oz, fleeing area; military says he was also carrying fake bomb
Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent
A Palestinian man armed with a makeshift firearm was detained in the West Bank’s Etzion settlement bloc (Gush Etzion) on Monday afternoon, after starting a fire with a Molotov cocktail, the military said.
The Israel Defense Forces said soldiers operating near Migdal Oz were dispatched to the scene after the suspect hurled a firebomb near the settlement.
He was caught after a brief chase, and was found to be armed with a makeshift gun and a mock explosive device, the IDF said.
The military published an X-ray image showing a bullet loaded into the gun.
The suspect was taken for further questioning by the Shin Bet security agency.
Footage published by Kan news showed the man hurling the Molotov cocktail and fleeing the area.
סיכול פיגוע הערב:
מחבל יידה בקבוק תבערה לעבר מגדל עוז.
כשנעצר – התגלה כי הוא חמוש באקדח מאולתר.
בסריקות במקום התגלו גם 3 מטעני צינור מחוברים זה לזה, 2 בקבוקי תבערה נוספים וזיקוקים.
החשד: המחבל תכנן "למשוך" את הכוחות באמצעות יידוי הבקת"ב, ואז לירות וליידות לעברם את המטען pic.twitter.com/5VRXaDtitl— Carmel Dangor כרמל דנגור (@carmeldangor) July 25, 2022
The incident came after two Palestinians carrying firebombs were arrested near Migdal Oz by troops and local security forces on Saturday, according to local authorities.
The attempted attack came as tensions remain high in the West Bank, after Israeli security forces stepped up operations following a deadly wave of terror attacks against Israelis earlier this year that left 19 people dead.
Seven wanted Palestinians were arrested during raids in the West Bank overnight, the IDF said Monday morning.
The Times of Israel Community.