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Attack thwarted at West Bank checkpoint, Israeli intelligence warns lull temporary

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The IDF temporarily closed a checkpoint yesterday after a Palestinian man armed with a knife and an improvised explosive device was arrested on the scene.

The Jalame crossing in the Gilboa region, situated on the edge of the northern West Bank near Afula, has been the scene of several recent violent incidents. On Monday, a Palestinian was shot and killed there after he attempted to stab Israeli soldiers. Two weeks ago, a Palestinian pretending to sell sweets at the crossing charged at a soldier with a knife and was shot dead. In yesterday’s incident, IDF soldiers apprehended the suspect at a gas station at the junction and took him for questioning, where it was found he was armed with a knife and explosives. The Israeli army announced that the checkpoint would be closed until further notice.

The wave of violence which has killed 12 Israelis during the last month has seen almost daily attacks, especially stabbings. Although Jerusalem was the initial epicentre of the unrest, knife attacks have also been carried out in central cities including Beit Shemesh, Netanya, Rishon Le Zion and Ra’anana. However, the focus of the violence shifted to the West Bank during the last ten days.

Yesterday proved to be a day without major incident or injury to Israelis. Nonetheless, Haaretz says that Israeli intelligence officials have warned that a lull in the violence is likely to be temporary. The article specifies that the intelligence community believes that “even if the current round of violence subsides, it will return and escalate, probably within a matter of months.” Intelligence officers say that there is high motivation among Palestinians to confront Israel, but also deep frustration among them towards the Palestinian Authority.

Also yesterday, the Jewish holy site of Joseph’s Tomb in the West Bank city of Nablus was repaired by the Shomron Regional Council, after it had been attacked and set ablaze by Palestinian rioters last month.