28 Jul 2017 | 06:09 PM UTC
Israel/Palestinian Territories: Attempted stabbing in West Bank July 28
Israeli soldiers kill Palestinian man attempting to stab them at a West Bank checkpoint in Hebron July 28; no other injuries reported
Event
On Friday, July 28, a Palestinian attacker was shot dead after attempting to stab Israeli soldiers at the Gush Etzion checkpoint north of Hebron in the West Bank. The assailant was identified as a 24-year-old man from Bethlehem. No soldiers were wounded in the attack.
Context
Tensions have been particularly high since the Temple Mount (Haram Al-Sharif) was shut down for the first time in 48 years on July 14, after three Arab-Israeli gunmen attacked a group of police officers near the Lions' Gate in Jerusalem's Old City. After 12 days of protests, over 1000 Palestinians were reportedly injured and five Palestinians died in the demonstrations and clashes. While security measures have returned to normal, the situation remains unstable.
Longstanding political and social tensions between Israelis and Palestinians contribute to frequent security incidents of varying severity. Nearly 300 Palestinians have been killed since a wave of violent street attacks began in 2015. Israel claims at least 180 of those killed were carrying out attacks, while the rest died in clashes and protests. In addition to these deaths, at least 45 Israelis, as well as American, British, Jordanian, Eritrean, and Sudanese nationals have been killed in Palestinian stabbings, shootings, and car-rammings.
Advice
Individuals in the area are advised to keep abreast of the situation and to avoid any public demonstrations due to the risk of violence.
More generally due to the ongoing terrorist threat, travelers are advised to report any suspicious objects or behavior to the authorities and to remain vigilant when visiting sites deemed particularly likely to be targeted in an attack (public transportation, train stations, ports, airports, public or government buildings, embassies or consulates, international organizations, schools and universities, religious sites, markets, hotels and restaurants frequented by foreigners/Westerners, etc.). As a reminder, several Western governments.
