During nighttime operations, police forces near the Hizma checkpoint received a report regarding vehicle theft in northern Jerusalem.
After several minutes, the police officers at the checkpoint noticed a vehicle nearing them, while driving in a suspicions fashion, with no lights and a broken windshield.
The officers identified the driver of the vehicle, which was suspected of having been stolen, and signaled for him to stop. The driver, however, did not heed their call and instead attempted to escape, ramming into a police car. After a short time, the forces overtook the driver and arrested him.
Upon interrogation, the suspect - a Palestinian Authority Arab from Ramallah, who did not have the proper permits to enter pre-1967 Israel - admitted that he supports Hamas' agenda of terror and planned to carry out a ramming attack using the stolen vehicle.
The suspect will be brought before the court for an extension of his arrest.
Jerusalem District police commander Doron Turgeman said, "I praise the actions of the police officers, their alacrity, and their method, which prevented the suspect's intentions to harm security forces operating at the crossing from being carried out. Jerusalem District police will continue, constantly, to work to protect the public's welfare and security, and to foil terror and intentions of terror, as well as continuing the fight against crime."