Attacker emerged from a taxi and pulled a knife out of a plastic bag; clashes erupt at scene near West Bank settlement of Kiryat Arba.
An Israeli soldier was moderately hurt in a stabbing attack near the West Bank city of Hebron Friday afternoon, close to the settlement of Kiryat Arba, the military and medics said. The attacker was shot dead.
The IDF said the two soldiers were securing the Route 60 highway, which passes near the Palestinian city, when the assailant attacked them. Media reports indicated the attacker emerged from a taxi with a plastic bag from which he pulled the knife and stabbed one of the soldiers. The Palestinian stabber was shot by the wounded soldier’s comrade. The soldier who shot the assailant later made a statement released to the media.
“The assailant arrived from behind us and stabbed one of the soldiers, I didn’t hesitate and neutralized the assailant. As a medic I gave life-saving medical care to my squad sergeant,” said Cpl. Mem of the Givati Infantry Brigade, who could only be identified by the initial of his Hebrew name.
The stabbing victim, in his 20s, was taken to the Hadassah Ein Kerem Medical Center in Jerusalem after sustaining a moderate injury, according to the Magen David Adom ambulance service.
According to Palestinian media reports, clashes erupted at the scene following the attack. The stabber was later named by Palestinian media as Fadi Muhammed Ghattas from the nearby Dheisha refugee camp.