Assailant, 18, attacked soldier in Hebron, hours after suspected terrorist blew himself up nearby
An 18-year-old Palestinian woman who was shot while attempting to stab an Israeli soldier in the West Bank Tuesday morning died of her wounds later in the day.
The woman was shot in the leg by an Israeli soldier at a military checkpoint in the city of Hebron and received treatment at the scene. She succumbed to her injuries hours later at Jerusalem’s Shaare Zedek Hospital.
A video purporting to be from the scene shows a black-clad woman lying on the ground after being shot, with an Israeli warning others to avoid approaching her for fear she could have an explosive in a bag.
“A Palestinian attempted to stab an IDF soldier at a military position in Hebron,” the army said in a statement. “IDF forces responded, fired toward the perpetrator and identified a hit.”
Hours earlier, a Palestinian youth was killed near Hebron when a grenade he was holding apparently exploded in his hands, Walla reported.
The attempted attacks come as Israel has bolstered security forces in Jerusalem and the West Bank ahead of the Jewish High Holy Day of Yom Kippur, which begins later Tuesday, and the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, which starts a day later.
Israeli officials said Monday they would place a general closure on the West Bank during Yom Kippur, which ends Wednesday evening, and would also deny access to the Temple Mount to Muslim men under age 40.
Tensions have spiked in the area since Israeli forces clashed with Palestinians several times atop the Temple Mount compound in Jerusalem, sparking an uptick in rock throwing and Molotov cocktail attacks in and around the capital.
Hebron is often the scene of tensions between Israeli settlers and Palestinians, who both live in the city, which is home to the Tomb of the Patriarchs, the second holiest site in Judaism. Muslims also revere the site as the Ibrahimi Mosque.
As reported by The Times of Israel