Security forces shoot, wound Palestinian at Qalandiya checkpoint
Palestinian did not heed security officer's instructions to stop and began running through vehicle inspection at checkpoint yelling 'Allahu Akbar'.
Security forces shot and wounded a Palestinian at the Qalandiya checkpoint near Jerusalem on Tuesday afternoon.
Police said the man did not heed the officer's instructions to stop, and began running through the vehicle inspection area at the checkpoint yelling "Allahu Akbar."
Soon thereafter, large security and police forces arrived at the scene, as well as Magen David Adom paramedics who treated the man at the scene and evacuated him to the Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem in moderate condition, with a bullet wound to his abdomen. He is currently undergoing treatment.
Tuesday's attempted attack marks another incident in an already violent week.
The IDF decided on Tuesday to reinforce its presence in the West Bank with an additional infantry battalion from the Nahal Brigade as a result of the recent spike in terror attacks in the area. The battalion will deal with defensive operations.
A high ranking official in the IDF said, "There is no collective punishment to the Palestinian population, and the steps that have been taken are a direct result of the current situation assessment and intelligence picture."
"The moment we get our hands on the perpetrators of the recent attacks we believe that the attacks will stop," he added. "The coordination with the Palestinian security forces continues as do the conversations with the settlers."
A drive by shooting on Monday night left one Israeli dead and three wounded in moderate condition.
Initial investigation found that two terrorists ambushed Israeli vehicles in a car with Palestinian plates on the Alon road, a side road, but relatively well-lit, near the settlement Shilo. Shortly before 11 pm, the terrorists noticed an Israeli vehicle traveling their way, and opened fire at the front of the car from short-range. At least 15 9 mm bullets hit the Israeli car.
The terrorists continued firing at the vehicle even after the driver made a sharp turn towards the settlement Migdalim. After driving for 200 meters more, the Israeli vehicle stopped and its passengers called for help.
This in addition to a flurry of recent stabbing attacks including a young female Israeli border guard who was stabbed in the neck on Monday morning in Rachel's Tomb, near Ramallah.
In response to the attacks, acting Samaria Regional Council head, Yossi Dagan, said: "Recently we've been witnessing a concerning increase in serious terror attacks: The stabbing of the soldier this morning at Rachel's Tomb, the shooting on the MDA ambulance on Highway 60 over the weekend, Molotov cocktail being thrown at buses, and the cold-blooded murder of Danny Gonen near Dolev. We must stop this phenomenon before things deteriorate further."
