A terrorist stabbed two IDF soldiers on Tuesday morning near the yishuv of Ateret in Binyamin, lightly wounding them.
Initial reports said that an Israeli civilian noted that a Palestinian was acting suspiciously and alerted IDF forces. When the soldiers arrived and began questioning him, the terrorist took out a knife and began stabbing them. The soldiers opened fire, and b’chasdei Hashem, the terrorist was neutralized.
Several hours later, the IDF clarified that the terrorist was spotted on security cameras that were recently installed in Ateret for the residents’ safety. The terrorist was seen approaching the yishuv from the Palestinian village of Beit Rima. Paratroopers from Battalion 101 rushed to the area and detained the suspect for a security inspection, during which he pulled out a knife and stabbed two soldiers. The force responded with gunfire and killed the terrorist.
The attack raised troubling concerns about the soldiers’ lack of vigilance and conduct. Footage of the attack shows the soldiers standing dangerously close to the terrorist, at times turning away from him and talking to each other instead of watching his movements—enabling him to reach into his bag, pull out his knife, and attack them.
The soldiers struggled to fend him off and only after several critical seconds managed to open fire and kill him. Both soldiers, in their 20s, were treated at the scene by MDA paramedics and evacuated to Sheba Hospital in Tel Hashomer in light condition.
The IDF spokesperson said that IDF forces from the Binyamin Brigade have imposed lockdowns on nearby Palestinian villages and set up roadblocks.
The attack came only hours after a car ramming attack near Chevron on Monday night that lightly injured a female soldier. A manhunt was launched, and overnight Monday, IDF forces eliminated the terrorist who carried out the attack.
(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)
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One Response
the soldiers were acting more as police than as fighters, a role for which they were probably not trained well enough.
a police take-down would have at least one person out of arm’s reach with a drawn weapon and a clear field of fire.