Shin Bet, police nab Palestinian teen over cop stabbing
17-year-old suspected of lightly injuring Border Police officer outside Har Adar in October
Police and Shin Bet security agents arrested a Palestinian teen earlier this month suspected of stabbing a Border Police officer in October near Har Adar, west of Jerusalem.
The 17-year-old Palestinian from the adjacent village of Bayt Surik attacked the cop on October 15 and fled the scene, the Shin Bet said in a statement Tuesday.
An investigation found that the unnamed suspect monitored Israeli security agents operating along the security barrier running near Har Adar and Bayt Surik from his home and tracked their movements, the security agency said.
Initial reports following the October 15 said the attack took place as police were opening an access road running along the security fence between Israel and the West Bank, close to Har Adar — which straddles the pre-1967 Green Line, about 6 miles (10 kilometers) from Jerusalem.
The policeman suffered minor injuries and was taken to Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem in Jerusalem. He was released several hours later.
The attacker was reportedly hiding in nearby foliage and ambushed the police officers as they approached. He stabbed one of the officers in the shoulder, then fled in the direction of the nearby village of Bayt Surik.
The attack prompted a massive manhunt for the suspect, who was eventually nabbed in early December, authorities said.
The findings of the police and Shin Bet investigation will be handed to military prosecutors, who will file an indictment.
Ahead of the October attack, officials feared a return to stabbing, shooting and car-ramming attacks with the onset of the fall holiday season, when religious tensions often spike.
October 2015 marked the start of several months of near-daily Palestinian terror attacks and violence during which at least 34 Israelis and over 200 Palestinians were killed. Most of the Palestinians killed were attackers or involved in clashes with troops.
The Times of Israel Community.