Gaza man shot dead by IDF troops in Eshkol
Man infiltrates Israeli border, attacks resident of southern border town before being shot dead; army probes possible terror attack
An IDF force has shot dead an assailant who broke into a home in the southern town of Sdei Avraham on Monday and stabbed a female resident. The woman was lightly hurt in the attack.
A preliminary investigation by the army found that the trespasser was a Gaza resident who infiltrated Israel's border. The security services initially reported the incident was criminal in nature but later postulated the attack was nationalistically driven.
Related stories:
- Report provides look into Gaza's smuggling network
Israel eases Gaza border restrictions after truce
According to the IDF, he was shot down by Kfir Brigade soldiers when he tried to assail the troops who ordered him to stop.
According to Deputy Inspector General Peretz Amar of the Negev police, the Gaza man broke into the home at 4 am and attacked the woman, who was at the house with her children. She fought back, making him flee. The woman was lightly hurt in the her face and shoulder when he wielded his knife.
"It appears (the assailant) didn't break in for the purpose of theft, as he could have done that without waking up the homeowner," Amar said.
The assailant was caught by the troops two kilometers from the scene. They followed arrest protocol before shooting him down.
Dozens of families reside in the community of Sdei Avraham, a farming town that was founded after the peace treaty with Egypt was signed. It is located in a region that was heavily targeted by rocket fire from Gaza during the latest round of escalation in hostilities between Israel and terror groups in the Strip.
Yoav Zitun contributed to the report
- Receive Ynetnews updates
directly to your desktop
