IDF soldier lightly wounded in Hebron stabbing
Palestinian assailant shot and killed by security forces; injured soldier evacuated to Jerusalem hospital
An IDF soldier was lightly wounded in a stabbing attack in Hebron on Thursday morning, police said.
Rescue services were at the scene, near the city’s Tomb of the Patriarchs on the road between Hebron and the adjacent Jewish settlement of Kiryat Arba.
During a violent demonstration, a Palestinian man armed with a knife approached Israeli forces. He stabbed one of the IDF soldiers, slicing his face.
The soldier recovered from the blow and fought back. The attacker then tried to assault a Border Police officer who was standing nearby, police spokeswoman Luba Samri said.
The Border Police officer fired at the attacker, critically wounding him. He later died of his wounds, Magen David Adom medical services said. He was identified as Islam Rafiq Hammad Ibeido, 23, the Palestinian Ma’an news agency reported.
The soldier received treatment at the scene from IDF medics who were nearby. He is in light condition and was being evacuated to the Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem’s Ein Kerem neighborhood, the Magen David Adom medical service said.
Israel has seen stabbing and shooting attacks against soldiers and civilians on an almost daily basis since late September, amid tensions and clashes between Palestinians and security forces in the West Bank.
Hebron has been a major site of unrest in recent weeks. On Tuesday, at least 10 Palestinian protesters were wounded as rioters threw stones and Molotov cocktails at Israeli security forces.
On Monday, an IDF soldier was stabbed and seriously injured in a stabbing attack in the city. The attacker was shot and killed by troops.
On Sunday afternoon, a Palestinian woman allegedly attempted to stab soldiers at a checkpoint in Hebron, and was shot and killed by troops at the scene.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.