Off-duty soldier shoots Palestinian near Jerusalem who tried to enter Israel illegally
Police say off-duty soldier mistook effort to detain Palestinians entering Israel illegally as a security incident at the flashpoint site on Route 60
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An off-duty soldier shot and wounded a Palestinian who attempted to infiltrate Israel from the West Bank near Jerusalem on Thursday evening, law enforcement officials said, in the latest security incident along a corridor that has seen repeated attacks in recent years.
Police said Border Police officers were operating along Route 60 near the so-called Tunnels Checkpoint south of Jerusalem as part of an effort to detain several Palestinians attempting to enter Israel illegally.
“During the operation, an off-duty IDF soldier who was riding a public bus near the scene noticed what was happening and apparently believed that it was a security incident,” police said.
The soldier disembarked and opened fire at the suspects, injuring one. Unverified reports circulating online later identified the wounded individual as a 45-year-old Arab man. No further injuries were reported.
The Tunnels Checkpoint has become a persistent flashpoint, with multiple stabbing and shooting attacks targeting security forces and civilians in the past two years.
In August 2024, a Palestinian man stabbed a female Border Police officer during questioning at the crossing, leaving her with minor injuries. Earlier that year, in March, a Palestinian teen stabbed and lightly wounded two people at the same site.
???????? Jerusalem Area — Shooting at Tunnels Checkpoint
Israeli reports say an IDF soldier opened fire on a man at the Tunnels Checkpoint near the entrance to Beit Jala after the individual allegedly failed to identify himself.
A 45-year-old Arab man was injured. Authorities say… pic.twitter.com/9qMgwSRzVe
— DD Geopolitics (@DD_Geopolitics) November 27, 2025
And, in one of the most severe incidents, an IDF soldier was killed and five others wounded in November 2023 when three gunmen opened fire at the checkpoint, just five weeks after Hamas’s October 7 massacre. Police said the three gunmen had planned a far larger assault in Jerusalem.
Thursday’s shooting came as the IDF conducted a large-scale operation across the northern West Bank, targeting towns and villages including Tubas, Tammun, and al-Aqaba in a bid to disrupt what officials say are renewed efforts by Palestinian terror groups to entrench themselves in the area.
Earlier in the day, two Palestinian suspects were shot dead by Border Police officers after surrendering in Jenin, an incident caught on video and now under investigation by the IDF and police.
The Times of Israel Community.