IDF Officer injured in stabbing attack near Nablus

An IDF officer was lightly injured Thursday in a stabbing attack near Mount Ebal outside the West Bank city of Nablus, the military said.

Times of Israel reports that the initial reports indicated that the victim, a company commander in the army’s officers’ training school, was injured in the hand during the attack. 

The army said the assailant initially attacked a military vehicle patrolling the area, north of Nablus.

“When the forces exited the vehicle, in order to assess the situation, an assailant drew a knife and stabbed and wounded an IDF officer,” a statement from the military said.

The attacker was shot and killed, the army said. The officer was treated at the scene by army medics.

Initial reports indicated that a Molotov cocktail had been hurled at the army vehicle, but an IDF spokesperson said that was false, without elaborating.

Earlier Thursday a Palestinian man attempting to stab a soldier was shot and killed by Israeli forces, the army said. The incident took place at Beit Anun junction, north of Hebron in the southern West Bank.

“A Palestinian assailant, armed with a knife, attempted to stab an IDF soldier. Forces on site responded and fired toward the attacker, resulting in his death,” the army said in a statement regarding the Thursday morning attack. There were no Israeli injuries.

On Tuesday, another Palestinian man was shot and killed as he attempted to stab a soldier at the junction.

“A Palestinian attacker, armed with a knife, attempted to stab a soldier securing the Beit [Anun] junction near Hebron,” a statement said. “Responding to the imminent threat, forces at the scene fired towards the assailant, resulting in his death.”

A second man, who the army said had driven the attacker to the scene, was shot and injured as he fled. Palestinian security sources said he later died, with the health ministry identifying the two as 23-year-old Mohammed Kowazba and 17-year-old Adnan al-Mashti.

AFP contributed to this report.