IDF returns bodies of 6 Palestinians killed in stabbing attempts
2 were killed in Saturday morning incident; 4 others died Thursday in two attempted attacks in West Bank
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Israel has returned the bodies of six Palestinians killed since Thursday as they attempted three separate stabbing attacks on IDF soldiers in the West Bank.
Two of the Palestinians were shot dead Saturday morning as they attempted to stab IDF soldiers in the Jordan Valley. The other four died in two separate such incidents on Thursday.
Three of the four Palestinians killed Thursday were shot dead by reservist soldiers as they tried to carry out a stabbing attack near the junction of the Etzion settlement bloc.
“Three attackers, armed with knives, attempted to stab soldiers guarding the Gush Etzion junction,” the IDF said in a statement, and confirmed that all three attackers had been killed. No one else was wounded in the incident.
Less than two hours later, further south, a fourth Palestinian was shot dead when he approached a group of soldiers at the Beit Anun junction outside of Hebron and attempted to stab one of them, the IDF said. As he was trying to attack the soldier, the other troops at the scene shot and killed him, the army said.
The four killed Thursday were set to be buried later Saturday in the village of Sair, close to Hebron, according to Palestinian sources.
The Walla news website said that the soldiers in the Etzion Bloc junction incident had received a tip-off about an imminent attack shortly before the trio approached. Other Hebrew media reports said the three were all members of the Kawasbeh family, and that they had sought to “avenge” the death of a relative who was buried Wednesday, having been killed in the course of a terror attack in Israel.
The soldiers called on the three to undergo a security check; one drew a knife, and was immediately shot. The two others then pulled out knives, and were also shot. Palestinians named the assailants as Ala Ayid Kawasbeh, Mahand Kawasbeh and Ahmad Shakar Kawasbeh.
The Etzion Bloc junction has been a focal point in the ongoing three-month wave of Palestinian attacks targeting Israeli security forces and civilians.
At least 25 Israelis, an American and an Eritrean have been killed in Palestinian terror attacks including stabbings, car-rammings and shootings targeting security forces and civilians since October 1.
At the same time, 142 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces, the vast majority while carrying out or attempting to carry out attacks.
Sue Serkes and AFP contributed to this report
The Times of Israel Community.