Palestinian Authority Arabs attacked Jews in Judea and Samaria several times on Thursday. Troops in Hevron stopped what could have been a deadly attack when they caught an Arab man with a hunting knife. The man was forcibly stopped as he attempted to approach the part of the Tomb of the Patriarchs (Maarat HaMachpelah) reserved for Jewish prayer.
The would-be attacker was arrested and taken in for questioning. Several similar attacks have been thwarted in Hevron in recent weeks.
Earlier in the day an Israeli man was wounded near Hevron in a rock attack. The man was pelted with heavy stones as he drove past the village of el-Aroub. He did not require medical attention.
A second rock attack took place near the village of Huwarra, in the Shechem region. A bus was damaged, but no injuries were reported.
Following the el-Aroub rock attack, IDF soldiers entered villages near Hevron to apprehend the attackers. Fourteen suspects were arrested in the village of el-Aroub, and two more were arrested in Beit Omer.
Yet another attack took place Thursday near Rachel's Tomb (Kever Rachel) on the outskirts of Bethlehem. Terrorists lobbed firebombs at the tomb, and then attacked border police who rushed to the scene. The officers were not hurt.