Routine security check at crossing (archive)
Photo: AFP
Palestinian attempts stabbing at Bitunia checkpoint
Police report that quick response of security guards at Bitunia checkpoint prevents stabbing attack. Resident of Jenin, who turns 18 Thursday, says in investigation he dreamed of carrying out attack
A young Palestinian man was arrested on Wednesday after he allegedly attempted to stab security guards at the Bitunia checkpoint, north of Jerusalem.
The checkpoint's guards, employed by the Jerusalem District Police, asked the young man to show his identity papers. The guards said that, in response, the man pulled out a knife and lunged at one of them.
The threatened guard drew his weapon and aimed it at the young Palestinian, who immediately dropped the knife and didn't put up a fight.
The man is a resident of a Jenin, who will turn 18 on Thursday. During an initial investigation, he said that he arrived at the checkpoint in order to carry out an attack. The police claimed he also said that he dreamed of carrying out the attack. He was transferred to the Shin Bet for further investigation.
Attacks carried out by individuals with a knife are considered difficult to prevent because they are typically results of local initiatives and don't require vast resources to carry out.
Some ten days ago, a young Israeli woman, 22, was wounded in a stabbing attack at Gush Etzion junction as she waited for a bus at night.
Three weeks ago, Border Guard officers arrested a Palestinian for allegedly trying to carry out a stabbing attack near Attara checkpoint, south of Ramallah. A knife was found among his belongings.
A concrete testimony to the threat of such stabbing attacks was recently uploaded to Youtube in the form of a video taken from security tapes depicting a young Palestinian woman who pulled out a knife at Qalandiya checkpoint and stabbed a guard in his lower abdomen.
