Terrorism in Judea and Samaria: An unusual incident took place today (Tuesday) at the Gush Etzion junction, when a terrorist approached a military post while armed with a knife, to try and carry out an attack. A security coordinator who was in the area and an IDF fighter standing at the spot carried out a suspect arrest procedure, which included firing into the air. The suspect threw a knife at the security coordinator, who responded by firing and neutralizing the terrorist.
Photo: Preliminary documentation by telegram
Shlomo Ne’eman, head of the Gush Etzion Council, said: “The attempted attack ended properly. Any attempted terrorist attack in the State of Israel ended without any casualties and when the terrorist was eliminated. We congratulate the hero resident who identified danger and acted quickly, resolutely and accurately, and brought the required result.
“Our enemies were told that they really do not scare us and certainly will not make us weaker in the settlement mission. The opposite is true: we are here forever, we will build Gush Etzion, we will expand and open this amazing place, together with Klal Yehuda and Samaria. This is our ancestors’ property and we hope soon A sovereign part of the State of Israel, “he added.
The area from which the terrorist is estimated to have arrived is considered relatively unusual, and closer to Alon Shvut. Most of the terrorists come from the south or west, because that is where the Palestinian villages are. In this case, the terrorist tried to attack soldiers west of the Gush Katif junction.
During the wave of terror in 2015, two Jews were murdered at the site of the attempted attack – Yaakov Don, a teacher and resident of Alon Shvut, and Ezra Schwartz, an American yeshiva student from Beit Shemesh. A Palestinian who was standing in a traffic jam was also killed. Near the place where the terrorist was neutralized today there is a monument in their memory.
Participated in the preparation of the article: Hanan Greenwood