BICOM

An Israeli soldier was wounded this morning after he was stabbed by a Palestinian at a West Bank checkpoint. The incident is the latest in a wave of attacks during the last three weeks, mainly stabbings, which have killed 11 Israelis.

This morning’s incident took place at the Gevaot checkpoint, which is located in the Gush Etzion region but not far from the central city of Beit Shemesh. The assailant reportedly pounced on a soldier as he helped open the security barrier in order to allow Palestinians to tend their olive groves. The soldier was lightly wounded from the knife attack. The assailant, apparently a 16-year-old from Tzurif near Hebron, was shot in the lower body and evacuated to a Jerusalem hospital for treatment. Early reports suggest that the wounded soldier is from Israel’s Bedouin community.

The attack comes just a day after a stabbing attack in Beit Shemesh itself, a city of almost 100,000 people. An 18-year-old Israeli was stabbed and injured by two 20-year-old Palestinians, also from Tzurif, but who were working at a Beit Shemesh construction site. The assailants first attempted to board a bus carrying a number of schoolchildren, but were thwarted by the driver and passengers. The attackers continued to search for a target and stabbed their victim outside a synagogue. Security forces quickly arrived on the scene and shot the terrorists, killing one and wounding the other. Both were found to be wearing t-shirts carrying the emblem of Hamas’ military wing. In Yediot Ahronot, Yossi Yehoshua accuses Hamas of having been behind the attack.

Also yesterday, a Palestinian attempted to stab a soldier in Hebron, but was thwarted. Hebron has been the scene of several stabbing incidents this week, injuring a number of Israelis.

Meanwhile, Hamas has called for protests following Friday prayers at mosques, which could see clashes between local Palestinians and IDF forces in the West Bank today.