The scene of the stabbing, Afula
The scene of the stabbing, AfulaJeremy Bardugo, News 24

Palestinian Authority media reported on Wednesday that IDF troops raided the home of the terrorist who stabbed 19-year-old Eden Atias to death in Afula.

The 16-year-old terrorist has been identified by the Ma’an news agency, as well as on Hamas internet forums, as Hussein Ghawadra.

Witnesses told Ma'an that Israeli forces raided the village of Bir al-Basha, near Jenin, where Ghawadra resided and detained his older brother and father.

The terrorist stabbed Atias who fell asleep on a bus that took him to his base. Atias had enlisted in the IDF just two weeks ago.

Israeli media reported on Wednesday that Ghawadra, who entered Israel without a permit, had studied the area well and carefully planned his attack. A gag order has been placed on most of the details of the investigation.

Atias was laid to rest in his hometown of Nazareth Illit on Wednesday night.

Gaza’s Hamas terrorist rulers hailed the teen terrorist as a “hero”.

"Congratulations to the Palestinian West Bank hero who killed an Israeli soldier in Afula this morning," Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhum wrote on his Facebook page.

"This is a heroic act of resistance showing that all methods of oppression and terror have not and will not succeed in stopping our people from carrying out jihad and resistance."

Following the attack, demonstrators converged on the Afula Central Bus Station,  where the murder took place, in a spontaneous outpouring of public anger.

The demonstrators, mostly young people, streamed through the station with pickets and chants, and garnered support among many passersby.

Angry protesters shouted "Jewish blood is not cheap!" and "Death to Arabs!"

Likud MK Tzipi Hotovely stated to Arutz Sheva that the terror attack "is another proof that the Palestinian Authority is not willing to negotiate with Israel", and that its only motivation is to gain "international legitimacy for terror attacks."