Palestinian man shot and seriously wounded after stabbing Border Patrol officer near the Tomb of the Patriarchs.
By BEN HARTMANBeit Hamachpela in Hebron 370(photo credit: Marc Israel Sellem)
A Palestinian at the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron stabbed and lightly wounded a Border Police officer on Monday. An officer at the scene opened fire and seriously wounded the Palestinian, who was taken into custody.Police have opened an investigation into the incident, and said that at the moment they still do not know if the man is a member of any terror group.The incident came after St.-Sgt. Netanel Moshiashvili was killed on Friday morning in a clash with a Palestinian gunman who had infiltrated Israel from the Gaza Strip.The IDF said the gunman crossed into Israel at 5 a.m. after cutting through the security fence using “sophisticated means.”A small unit from Battalion 12 engaged the terrorist. Moshiashvili, 21, from Ashkelon, was killed. The troops returned fire, killing the gunman who was later identified as Ahmed Nassir.“Due to the fast response by the force, a larger terrorist attack in the area was thwarted,” Col. Tal Hermoni, commander of the Gaza Division’s Southern Brigade, told reporters. “We are in a state of constant fighting and our mission is to protect the residents, and we do that with resolve and determination.”Sources in Gaza told Reuters that Nassir was affiliated with Islamic Jihad but the group denied responsibility, suggesting he might have been acting alone.
