Border Police officers serving in Hevron, located south of Jerusalem, shot and killed a Palestinian Authority Arab man on Wednesday night after the man approached a guard station and did not stop despite warnings. The incident took place near the Tomb of the Patriarchs (Me'arat HaMachpelah).
Officers said they called to the man repeatedly and told him to stop. When he continued to approach the station, they responded by firing in the air, then at the ground before him. When he still continued to move forward, they fired at him directly, causing his death.
Bomb experts searched the man's body after the shooting. No explosives were found on his person, but he was carrying a knife, giving rise to suspicions that he planned to stab soldiers or civilians in the area.
Attempted stabbing attacks are not uncommon in Hevron, particularly near the Tomb of the Patriarchs, which is one of the points where the Jewish and Arab parts of the city meet. The Tomb is partially under Jewish control and partially under Muslim control.
Following the incident, security forces in the Kiryat Arba-Hevron area declared a state of high alert. Additional soldiers and police officers were sent to the city, and temporary checkpoints were erected.
The incident is one of several seemingly unrelated attacks to occur in Judea and Samaria over the past few weeks. Officials have termed the recent attacks “grassroots terrorism,” as they were carried out by individuals not known to be affiliated with any formal terrorist network.