Three Palestinians who tried to stab Israeli soldiers shot dead: army

According to the army, soldiers identified three Palestinians they said appeared suspicious approaching the junction from the direction of Beit Fajjar.

Israeli forces shot dead four Palestinians in two different incidents in southern occupied West Bank for allegedly trying to stab soldiers Thursday night, Palestinian and Israeli authorities said. The third attacker was wounded and taken to hospital.

The fatalities included two Israelis who were stabbed to death by two Palestinians at Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem’s Old City on December 23, and another man who was stabbed multiple times December 7 near the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron, and died of his wounds on December 30.

Palestinian media named the three as Muhanad Kawazbeh, 20, Ahmed Kawazbeh, 21, and Alaa Kawazbeh, 20, all from the village of Sair, north-east of Hebron.

The so-called Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) released a statement claiming the three Palestinians looked “suspicious” as they approached the checkpoint, which prompted the soldiers to stop them and call in more troops.

Yonatan Gher, the head of Amnesty International in Israel, said the incident was an example of how the Israeli government had incited distrust and ill-feeling towards Arab Israelis, particularly in the wake of a deadly shooting attack in Tel Aviv last week by an Arab Israeli gunman.

A spokesperson for Aegean said a small group of passengers had “very vocally” asked for two other passengers – who were Arab citizens of Israel – to be checked for security issues.

Twenty-two Israelis and an American have been killed in attacks by Palestinians including stabbings, auto rammings and gunfire targeting security forces and civilians since 1 October.