Palestinian teen tries to infiltrate settlement with knife, is shot
Girl, 15, confronted by IDF troops during apparent attempt to carry out an attack in Yitzhar; paramedics treat her at scene
Raoul Wootliff is a former Times of Israel political correspondent and Daily Briefing podcast producer.
A 15-year-old Palestinian girl attempted to infiltrate the West Bank settlement of Yitzhar Wednesday morning, apparently in order to carry out a stabbing attack, and was shot and wounded by IDF soldiers.
The soldiers spotted the would-be attacker carrying a knife as she was approaching the settlement boundary. She was shot after she refused calls to halt, the army said.
The suspect sustained injuries to her hand and was treated by paramedics on the scene. No soldiers or civilians were injured in the incident.
The infiltration attempt came after a series of attacks across the West Bank Tuesday that left one Israeli dead and at least four injured.
An Israeli man from Kiryat Arba was hit by a truck and killed Tuesday afternoon after he emerged from his vehicle, which had just been hit by Palestinian rock throwers. A short time later, a soldier and a civilian were lightly hurt when a car rammed into them close to the Gush Etzion settlement bloc south of Jerusalem.
An IDF soldier was lightly wounded in a stabbing attack Tuesday night in the West Bank city of Hebron. His two Palestinian attackers were shot dead by a fellow soldier who was with him at the time of the attack.
Following the attack, dozens of burning tires were hurled by Palestinians at the southern entrance of Kiryat Arba, a Jewish settlement abutting Hebron.
In a separate incident Tuesday night, IDF troops came under fire at the West Bank settlement of Dolev, Walla reported. The soldiers fired warning shots into the air in response, and were checking the source of the gunfire. There were no injuries.
Earlier on Tuesday, Molotov cocktails and a pipe bomb were hurled at an IDF position in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, as close to 400 Palestinians clashed with Israeli army forces near the site of Rachel’s Tomb.
A Border Police officer was lightly injured at the site after Palestinians hurled a Molotov cocktail at him, the Walla news site reported.
In the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Isawiyah, a Palestinian was shot in the leg when advancing toward a Border Police post while holding a Molotov cocktail, the Ynet news site reported. The Palestinian was rushed away from the scene by a medical team; his condition was not immediately clear.
At least nine Palestinians protesters were reported injured in clashes across the West Bank, according to the Palestinian Ma’an News Agency.
Also Tuesday, the IDF said that Israeli security forces identified terrorists in Gaza preparing to fire at Israeli forces carrying out defensive activities near the southern part of Strip. The IDF said the soldiers fired at the snipers and hits were confirmed.
There were no immediate reports of casualties on the Palestinian side.
The current wave of violence was fueled by rumors that Israel was plotting to destroy the Al-Aqsa Mosque and take over Jerusalem’s Temple Mount, the holiest site to Jews and the third holiest one to Muslims.
Israel has adamantly denied the allegations, saying there are no plans to change the status quo between Muslim worshipers and Jewish visitors to the site, and has accused the Palestinians of incitement. Jews can currently visit the religious holy site but are not allowed to pray there.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
