A knife found on the person of a Palestinian who arrived at the Tomb of the Patriarchs and who Border Police say was likely planning an attack, October 23, 2018 (Israel Police)
Border Policemen at Hebron’s Tomb of the Patriarchs arrested a 17-year-old Palestinian Tuesday after he pulled a knife on them, officials said.
Police said the teen arrived at a security checkpoint at the entrance to the West Bank city’s holy site and was instructed to empty his pockets. Though he complied, a metal detector went off when he passed through it.
When policemen told him to lift his shirt, he at first refused, then pulled out a large knife he had hidden on his person and brandished it at the officers.
Policemen aimed their weapons at the suspect and ordered him to put down the weapon. He was eventually subdued without shots being fired, and was arrested and taken for questioning.
A general view of the West Bank city of Hebron with the Tomb of the Patriarchs, on January 18, 2017. (Lior Mizrahi/Flash90)
Police said they believed the suspect had intended to smuggle the knife into the site in order to carry out an attack.
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The incident came a day after an Israeli soldier was lightly injured in a stabbing attack at the site. The army said an assailant “tried to stab a soldier near the Tomb of the Patriarchs and lightly wounded him.”
The attacker was shot dead by the soldier and other security forces.
The Tomb of the Patriarchs pilgrimage site in Hebron is a frequent flashpoint, as both Palestinians and Israelis regularly pass through the area.
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Jacob Magid and Judah Ari Gross contributed to this report.
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