Two Palestinian terrorists stabbed and seriously wounded an Israeli civilian on Thursday while residents were attempting to extinguish a fire near a West Bank farm, the IDF said.
According to the military, another Israeli civilian at the scene identified the attack and shot and killed both terrorists.
The fire that was raging during the stabbing
(Photo: Israel Fire and Rescue Service Spokesperson’s Office)
The wounded man, aged 51, suffered stab wounds to his chest and body. He received lifesaving treatment at the scene from Magen David Adom medics and an IDF medical team before being evacuated by an Israeli Air Force Unit 669 helicopter to a hospital in serious condition.
MDA emergency medic Israel Arbus said medical crews had been providing coverage for the firefighting operation when civilians alerted them to the attack.
“While we were providing medical coverage for the fire, civilians shouted to us that a man had been wounded in a stabbing,” he said. “We immediately ran to the scene and saw a man suffering from stab wounds to his body.”
“We provided lifesaving medical treatment, including stopping the bleeding, and together with an IDF medical team evacuated him to the hospital in serious condition.”
The fire broke out earlier Thursday near Havat Derech Avraham, close to Alon Moreh. Firefighters from the Samaria area, local volunteers, members of the community emergency response team and security forces worked to contain the flames.
The Israel Fire and Rescue Service said crews were dealing with an extensive line of fire and faced difficulty reaching all the burning areas from the ground. Two firefighting aircraft from the Elad Squadron were deployed after commanders assessed the terrain and weather conditions.
The IDF initially said Palestinians from Beit Furik had started the fire, but later issued a correction stating that its cause had not yet been established.
Clashes at the scene of the attack at Havat Derech Avraham
Fire investigators from Israel Fire and Rescue Services and investigators from Israel Police opened a joint investigation into the circumstances surrounding the blaze.
Following the stabbing, IDF troops conducted searches in the Beit Furik area and imposed a temporary cordon on the village.
Samaria Regional Council head Yossi Dagan arrived at the scene and described the stabbing as a grave terrorist attack.
“This is a serious terrorist incident,” Dagan said. “Time and again, we are witnessing arson attacks and attempted terrorist attacks.”
He accused the Palestinian Authority and terrorist organizations of promoting incitement and called on the government to respond “with an iron fist.”
“The settlement movement in Samaria is strong, and we will defeat them,” he said. “We expect the government to crush terrorism and those who incite it.”