Palestinian arrested after attempted attack in West Bank settlement

The man tried to attack a resident with a decorative bike after throwing rocks at passing cars.

A police officer holds a toy bike with which a Palestinian man tried to attack a settler in Tekoa, September 2018 (photo credit: UNITED HATZALAH WEST BANK)
A police officer holds a toy bike with which a Palestinian man tried to attack a settler in Tekoa, September 2018
(photo credit: UNITED HATZALAH WEST BANK)
A Palestinian man was arrested near the West Bank settlement of Tekoa on Sunday after he tried to attack an Israeli resident with a metal object.
There were no injuries in what security forces described as an attempted terror attack.
“IDF soldiers arrested a Palestinian who tried to attack a resident with an iron bar near Tekoa. Nobody was injured,” the IDF said.
According to eyewitnesses, the attacker, who had been throwing rocks at moving vehicles moments before, tried to drag a man out of his car and attack him with a decorative metal bike he picked up at the scene.
The resident, who was armed, was able to subdue the Palestinian along with two other residents who were in the area before security forces arrived.
During the incident a warning siren was activated in the settlement, 5 km. southeast of Bethlehem, instructing residents to remain in their home until the IDF gave them the all clear.
The incident occurred as Tourism Minister Yariv Levin was making a visit to the local school to mark its reopening after summer vacation. Security forces scanned the settlement, including near the schools and kindergartens, before giving the all clear.
Gush Etzion Regional Council head Shlomo Ne’eman thanked the security forces for quickly arresting the attacker.
“We in the community of Tekoa experienced an attack of a lone terrorist. Thankfully, no one was wounded, apart from people suffering from shock, which is also extremely serious,” he said.
No injuries were reported and no shots were fired. The Palestinian, reportedly not armed with either a firearm nor a knife, was taken in for questioning by security forces.