Israeli Soldier Thwarts Stabbing Attack in Samaria

Israeli Soldier Thwarts Stabbing Attack in Samaria

IDF soldiers neutralize assailant who charged them with a knife.

By United with Israel Staff

A Palestinian terrorist brandishing a knife was shot after charging at IDF soldiers near a military base in northern Samaria on Tuesday morning.

After commanding the man to stop running towards them, the soldiers shot the assailant. According to Hebrew language media reports, the terrorist was “neutralized,” though it’s unclear if he was shot dead. The soldiers were not injured in the incident.

“A terrorist armed with a knife began running toward soldiers guarding the area, the fighters responded with gunfire,” the Israeli army confirmed in a statement.

Surveillance footage from the scene circulating on social media showed that the terrorist came within just a few feet of the soldiers before they opened fire.

תיעוד: ניסיון הפיגוע ליד חטיבת שומרון.
המחבל מתקרב לעבר הלוחמים ומעורר את חשדם, ובשלב מסוים פותח בריצה עם סכין שלופה בידו ומנוטרל תוך שניות@GLZRadio pic.twitter.com/5KPHQNjfaS

— דורון קדוש | Doron Kadosh (@Doron_Kadosh) May 17, 2022

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett praised the soldiers’ quick reflexes later on Tuesday morning, saying in a meeting with IDF senior staff that “the order is clear – strike the terrorists wherever they are, with all types of weapons.”

He added that “whoever raises a hand against an Israeli citizen or soldier will have his blood on his head.”

Notably, footage showed that the man advanced towards the soldiers while brandishing his weapon for a relatively long period of time rather than attempting to attack an unarmed Israeli civilian standing at a bus stop nearby.

That behavior raises possibility that the attempted stabbing attack was essentially a “suicide by cop,” in which Palestinians charge security forces in the hopes that they will be shot dead.

Tuesday morning’s attempted stabbing comes after a Palestinian armed with an axe was arrested by the Israeli army on Monday. In that incident, the terrorist admitted to investigators that he had been cruising the Tapuach Junction area in search of a potential Israeli victim.