Palestinian teen killed in Friday attack bid ‘had US citizenship’
PA officials say 17-year-old was a resident of West Bank village close to area of attempted stabbing
A Palestinian teenager who was shot dead Friday afternoon as he tried to stab IDF soldiers in the West Bank had American citizenship, Palestinian sources said.
The Palestinian Authority Health Ministry named the 17-year-old as Mahmoud Muhammad Shaalan, a resident of the village of Deir Daboun, north of Ramallah, the Hebrew-language Haaretz daily reported.
The youth was shot dead as he pulled a knife on troops at a checkpoint close to the Beit El settlement, also in the Ramallah area. There were no other casualties in the incident.
In the wake of the attempted attack, security forces launched a search of the area of the fence around Beit El in order to rule out an infiltration into the settlement.
The incident came on the heels of a brutal hatchet attack on an unarmed Israeli security guard in the West Bank settlement of Ma’ale Adumim overnight. Police said that attack was terrorism, as doctors fought for the victim’s life at a Jerusalem hospital.
The 48-year-old security guard was attacked inside the town’s mall. He was struck multiple times in his upper body. The terrorist fled the scene.
A manhunt for the assailant was still underway late Friday.
The Times of Israel Community.