Palestinian woman arrested with knife near Hebron holy site

Suspect arouses suspicions of Border Police as she approaches checkpoint near Cave of the Patriarchs

By ToI Staff 8 January 2018, 8:13 pm

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Security forces gather on July 1, 2016, near the entrance of the Cave of the Patriarchs, in the flashpoint West Bank city of Hebron (AFP PHOTO / HAZEM BADER/File)

Border Police on Monday arrested a Palestinian woman who was found to be carrying a knife as she approached a checkpoint near the Cave of the Patriarchs holy site in the West Bank city of Hebron.

Officers detained the woman after they noticed she was behaving suspiciously, the army said in a statement. During a search, they found a knife in her bag.

The flashpoint city, where Palestinians live in close proximity to settlers who are guarded by Israeli troops, has been the scene of numerous stabbings and attempted stabbings since a wave of attacks carried out by Palestinians began in October 2015.

Last Monday, IDF soldiers arrested a Palestinian teenager who was holding a knife and walking toward their jeep near Hebron.

Officials who were at the scene said the 19-year-old man approached the vehicle at the Beit Anun Junction, in the central West Bank, and dropped a knife on the ground. Soldiers subdued him and, during a search, found another knife in his possession.