Palestinian killed during operation in Petah Tikva to arrest illegals

A Palestinian in his 20’s was shot to death early Saturday morning by Border Police volunteers during a raid near the Yarkon cemetery in Petah Tikva, in central Israel.

The man was shot after attempting to stab one of the volunteers during an operation to seek out and arrest Palestinians residing illegally in Israel.

Emergency rescue personnel pronounced the man’s death at the scene.

Forty Palestinians were arrested in the same raid.

Israeli security forces have stepped up efforts to seek out Palestinians residing illegally in Israel since the murder of 18-year-old Israeli soldier Eden Atias while he was asleep on a bus in Afula in November by a 16-year-old Palestinian youth who was in Israel illegally.

The incident launched another public outcry in Israel over the phenomenon of Palestinians entering Israel illegally, mainly to look for work.

Two weeks ago, in the aftermath of the attack, seventy Palestinians illegally residing in Israel were arrested in a raid by Border Police guards and police officers from the Northern District.

The forces searched homes, agricultural fields and construction sites — where some Palestinian who live in Israeli illegally reside — in predominantly Arab towns like Shfaram, Kfar Manda and Shibli in the Galilee.

In September, IDF soldier Tomer Hazan was lured to a village in the West Bank and killed by a Palestinian coworker, who was working in Israel illegally, according to reports. The two worked at a Bat Yam restaurant.

Earlier in November, a Palestinian in his 20s was killed after trying to stab a Border Police guard in Abu Dis, near Jerusalem.

Ricky Ben-David contributed to this report.