Israeli forces foil 2 stabbing attempts in the West Bank
Soldiers fatally shoot masked Palestinian wielding knife next to Ofra; separately, police find knife wrapped in Hamas flag on woman at Qalandiya checkpoint
Israeli forces opened fire and then gave chase after a Palestinian man approached soldiers wielding a knife near a West Bank settlement on Tuesday.
The man, who was masked, approached the soldiers near the settlement of Ofra, according to initial reports.
A short video clip shared on X showed a masked man approaching what appeared to be a military outpost, brandishing a knife.
It was unclear in the video whether the suspect was startled or hit by a bullet fired by the soldiers, before attempting to flee.
Soldiers shot and killed the would-be assailant as he tried to escape into a nearby village, the reports said.
There were no additional reports of casualties in the incident, and no immediate confirmation from the Israel Defense Forces or Border Police.
מחבל רעול פנים וחמוש בסכין יצא מהכפר עין יברוד, התקרב לשער היישוב עפרה, ונורה על ידי כוח צה"ל שהיה בעמדה סמוכה. המחבל נפצע ונמלט@carmeldangor pic.twitter.com/UIEUnJDfrE
— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) November 7, 2023
Also Tuesday morning, a Palestinian woman wrapped in a Hamas flag and carrying a small knife was shot and wounded by Israeli forces at the Qalandiya checkpoint near Jerusalem, in what police said was a foiled terror attack.
The woman was taken into custody and given medical treatment at the site of the incident.
She arrived on foot at the checkpoint and ignored instructions by guards and Border Police officers, who “quickly responded by shooting at her and neutralized her,” according to a police statement.
There were no additional injuries reported in the incident.
The incidents came amid soaring tensions in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, as Israel fights a fierce war against the Hamas in the Gaza Strip following the terror group’s October 7 massacres in southern Israel.
Israel says its offensive is aimed at destroying Hamas’s military and governance capabilities, and has vowed to eliminate the terror group, which rules the Strip. It says it is targeting all areas where Hamas operates, while seeking to minimize civilian casualties.
There have been frequent clashes in the West Bank since the war began. Troops have arrested more than 1,350 wanted Palestinians in the West Bank, including some 850 affiliated with Hamas, according to the IDF.
According to data from the Palestinian Authority health ministry, at least 155 West Bank Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces, and in some cases settlers, since October 7.
