Soldiers fend off attempted stabbing in Hebron

IDF soldiers foiled a stabbing attempt by a Palestinian woman at the Tzalbanit checkpoint near the Tomb of the Patriarchs holy site in Hebron on Sunday.

The attacker was shot and killed in the attack, according to reports.

According to the army, the woman approached the Hebron checkpoint shortly after 1 p.m. When soldiers asked her to identify herself, she pulled out a knife and walked closer to them while yelling.

Earlier Sunday, one person was injured in a stabbing attack in the southern West Bank, and troops are searching for the attacker. The attack occurred near the settlement of Metzad, east of the Etzion settlement bloc south of Jerusalem.

The victim, a middle-aged man, sustained moderate injuries to his upper body and was taken to Jerusalem’s Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem, according to reports. He was stabbed after exiting his car when it was pelted with stones, the IDF said.

Troops launched a search for the stabber, who fled the scene. Some reports suggested there may have been more than one attacker, and they were dressed as ultra-Orthodox Jews.

Israel has suffered a spate of stabbing, rock-throwing and car-ramming attacks over the past several weeks, as well as daily clashes between Palestinians and IDF troops in the West Bank.

A number of attacks last week occurred after victims left a car which had been pelted by stones.

Earlier Sunday morning, a Palestinian man was arrested near the Tapuah Junction in the West Bank after a knife was found in his belongings.

The man was planning to carry out a terror attack, officials said.

Since the latest round of fighting began, 10 Israelis have been killed and dozens more injured in terror attacks. Over 40 Palestinians have been killed, at least half of them assailants according to Israel, and over 100 were injured.