Palestinian shot dead in stabbing attempt at West Bank army post — IDF

Footage shows suspect running, trying to attack soldiers near settlement of Kedumim; no troops injured

Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent

Israeli security forces inspect the scene of an attempted stabbing attack, near Kedumim, in the West Bank, on January 25, 2023. (Hillel Maeir/Flash90)
Israeli security forces inspect the scene of an attempted stabbing attack, near Kedumim, in the West Bank, on January 25, 2023. (Hillel Maeir/Flash90)

A Palestinian man who attempted to stab soldiers in the northern West Bank on Wednesday morning was shot dead, the military and local officials said.

According to the Israel Defense Forces, the Palestinian, armed with a knife, approached an army post on Route 55 near the settlement of Kedumim and tried to stab soldiers.

Suviallence camera footage of the incident showed the suspect exiting a red car next to the army post which is adjacent to a bus stop, running toward the troops, and apparently attempting to stab them, before being shot.

Another image showed the man lying on the ground, holding a knife in his hand.

“The terrorist was neutralized by forces at the scene,” the IDF said.

Local security officials said the suspect, named as Aref Abdel Nasser Lahlouh, 20, from the Jenin refugee camp, was killed.

The military said no soldiers were hurt in the incident.

Warning: graphic footage

The attempted attack came as tensions have soared in the West Bank, with the IDF pressing on with an anti-terror offensive to deal with a series of attacks that left 31 people in Israel dead in 2022.

The IDF’s operation has netted more than 2,500 arrests in near-nightly raids. It also left 171 Palestinians dead in 2022, and another 19 since the beginning of the year, many of them while carrying out attacks or during clashes with security forces, though some were uninvolved civilians.

In arrest raids across the West Bank early Wednesday, the IDF said troops arrested 11 wanted Palestinians.

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