Palestinian attacks IDF soldier with hammer, is shot dead

Palestinian attacks IDF soldier with hammer, is shot dead

A Palestinian man was shot dead on Thursday morning near Ramallah after attacking an Israeli soldier with a hammer, according to the Israel Defense Forces.

The attack took place shortly after midnight in the Palestinian village of Beitin.

The soldier was conducting routine operations when he went to relieve himself near an abandoned military outpost, inside of which the assailant was hiding, Israeli media reported.

The Palestinian attacked the soldier and struck him in the head, lightly injuring him.

במהלך פעילות יזומה שגרתית של כוח צה״ל לפני זמן קצר, סמוך לכפר ביתין שבמרחב החטיבה המרחבית בנימין, חשוד תקף חייל צה״ל בעזרת פטיש. החייל הגיב בירי לעבר החשוד וניטרל אותו. בנוסף, נמצאה על החשוד סכין.
החייל נפצע בפניו וקיבל טיפול רפואי בנקודה pic.twitter.com/LOXxZ6GLRk

— צבא ההגנה לישראל (@idfonline) September 7, 2022

The soldier then opened fire on the assailant, killing him. The terrorist was also armed with a knife, according to the IDF.

The Palestinian Authority Health Ministry later named the terrorist as 17-year-old Haitham Hani Mubarak, Israeli media reported.

The incident comes amid a wave of Palestinian terrorism in Judea and Samaria.

Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz said on Wednesday that the IDF would continue to operate in Palestinian Authority-controlled areas if the P.A. fails to maintain security there.

On Monday, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi said that the P.A. was increasingly unable to rein in terror, a reality that was forcing Israel to intensify its own operations in Judea and Samaria.

Kochavi noted that since the launch of “Operation Breakwater” in March, some 1,500 wanted Palestinians have been apprehended so far, and hundreds of attacks prevented, he said.