IDF soldiers opened fire on two Arab men on Monday night near the hareidi-religious city of Beitar Illit, a few miles south of Jerusalem. The men were attempting to infiltrate the city and were assumed to be terrorists. One of the suspects was wounded and taken to a

Soldiers noticed that they were attempting to set fire to car tires

Jerusalem hospital. The second suspect managed to escape.

The two men attempted to enter Beitar Illit near Lubavitch Street and soldiers noticed that they were attempting to set fire to car tires at the edge of the town. IDF forces opened fire, hitting one of the men.

A military response team dispatched to the scene of the incident could not locate the suspected infiltrators. One of the wounded men was reportedly taken to a nearby Arab village in a private car, and from there he was evacuated in a Red Crescent ambulance to a hospital in Bethlehem. He was subsequently transferred to a hospital in Jerusalem. Arab sources quoted by the YeshaNews service reported that the wounded man is an Israeli citizen.

Arab sources initially claimed the wounded suspect was in critical condition. However, Israeli sources have rejected the claim, saying that the would-be arsonist is suffering from light gunshot wounds to his arms.

Bus Driver Injured

In other Arab attacks on Jews, a bus driver suffered light head wounds when he was attacked by rock-throwers near the Jewish community of Tzufim, in Samaria.

A group of Arabs also stoned an Israeli bus on Monday night near the village of Beit Furik, southeast of Shechem. The bus was damaged, but no injuries were reported. Another bus was damaged earlier in the day in a similar attack near Karmei Tzur, in Gush Etzion. A private vehicle was also damaged by rock-throwing Palestinian Authority Arabs Monday evening. The targets of the attack were driving in the Jewish quarter of Hevron at the time.

PA terrorists in Gaza also continued their attacks on Jews in the western Negev. Attackers launched two Kassam rockets at the city of Sderot on Monday night. No injuries or damage were reported.