Hevron funeral after bodies of five terrorists returned (file)
Hevron funeral after bodies of five terrorists returned (file)Flash 90

Israel lost no time in returning the body of the Arab terrorist who critically wounded a Border Police officer near Halhul in the Hevron region of Judea on Wednesday, handing over the body just hours later - in further breach of last month's Security Cabinet decision.

Palestinian Authority (PA) security officials identified the terrorist as Ibrahim Skafi, 22, from Hevron. They said his body was returned to his family and he would be buried on Thursday.

Alleged video of the terrorist's body arriving in Hevron circulated the internet and can be seen by clicking the image below.

The move is controversial given the decision last month not to return the terrorist's bodies as a deterrent measure, meant to avoid the massive outpourings of celebration over the lethal terrorists that inspire even more terror.

Just this Saturday a massive terror funeral was held in Hevron for five terrorists returned by Israel, in a ceremony full of praise for the terrorists which later led to rock attacks on IDF soldiers. 

Just two days after the funeral an Arab terrorist from Hevron stabbed and wounded three Israelis in an attack in Rishon Lezion, including a woman in her 80s who was moderately to seriously wounded, and a man in his 40s who was seriously wounded.

Yet Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon (Likud) claimed Wednesday that not returning the terrorists' bodies is not a deterrent, in an assertion that led to a backlash by other MKs.

A total of seven bodies were returned last week including the five on Saturday, but the PA said it still is awaiting the bodies of ten more terrorists.

PA officials said that after Wednesday's attack the IDF sealed off the surrounding area and collected video from the security cameras of shops and buildings.

Footage shown later on Israeli television channels showed a car speeding round a curve and ramming into a group of uniformed security officers.

AFP contributed to this report.