Palestinian tries to stab soldier during West Bank raid, is shot, army says

Incident occurs during an arrest operation; separately, 2 arrested for suspected attack in northern Israel on IDF soldier during which his weapon was stolen

Illustrative: IDF soldiers conduct raids in the West Bank city of Yatta, near Hebron, on August 3, 2017. (IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
Illustrative: IDF soldiers conduct raids in the West Bank city of Yatta, near Hebron, on August 3, 2017. (IDF Spokesperson's Unit)

A Palestinian man tried to stab an Israel Defense Forces soldier during an overnight operation in the West Bank, the army said Monday.

The would-be attacker was shot by another soldier. There were no details given on his condition.

The incident occurred while the soldiers were trying to carry out an arrest. The army did not clarify if the suspect was a target in that operation.

According to the army, the suspect tried to stab a soldier, who shoved him away before the commanding officer shot him.

Knife used in an attempted stabbing attack in the West Bank, March 8, 2021 (Israel Defense Forces)

The soldier lightly hurt his hand and was treated on the scene.

The incident came amid heightened tensions in the West Bank, where Israeli settlers and Palestinians have clashed repeatedly in recent weeks.

Separately, two men were arrested Sunday for their suspected involvement in an attack last week on an IDF soldier in northern Israel in which his weapon was stolen.

The two suspects, both aged 25 and from the northern Bedouin town of Ibtin, were detained while hiding near the West Bank village of az-Zubaidat.

A commando soldier was lightly injured in the attack during an overnight navigation exercise, in an incident the IDF chief of staff condemned at the time as “crossing a red line.”

The Kan public broadcaster reported that the soldier was walking alone down a dirt road close to the town of Shfaram at around 3 a.m. when a vehicle containing two people pulled up behind him.

The vehicle stopped and one of the men asked the soldier if he needed a ride. When the soldier kept on walking, the vehicle overtook him and blocked the road, at which point the two men got out and attacked him in a struggle that went on for approximately five minutes. The report said the soldier managed to throw the gun magazine into nearby bushes, but the assailants escaped with his weapon.

The theft of guns has long been an issue for the military. As a result, in recent years the IDF has invested millions of shekels in advanced security systems for armories.

Most Popular
read more: