Palestinian caught with knife near Hebron’s Tomb of the Patriarchs

Police say 18-year-old suspect threw blade to the ground as he was searched by officers in the flashpoint West Bank city

Border Police troops are seen deployed as Palestinian worshippers protest following Friday prayers at the Tomb of the Patriarchs denouncing Israeli construction plans at the site, in the city of Hebron in the West Bank on August 13, 2021. (HAZEM BADER / AFP)
Illustrative: Border Police troops are seen deployed in the southern West Bank city of Hebron on August 13, 2021. (HAZEM BADER / AFP)

Border Police on Monday arrested a Palestinian in Hebron who allegedly tried to enter the Tomb of the Patriarchs with a knife.

The suspect, a 18-year-old resident of the West Bank city, was stopped by officers as he approached the area around the holy site.

As officers searched the suspect, they spotted him throwing a knife to the ground, according to a police statement.

The suspect was taken for questioning after his arrest.

Hebron, where Palestinians live in close proximity to settlers who are guarded by Israeli troops, has been the scene of numerous stabbings and attempted stabbings.

The Tomb of the Patriarchs, revered as the final resting place of most of the Biblical patriarchs and matriarchs, is one of the holiest sites in Judaism and is also revered by Muslims as the Ibrahimi Mosque.

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