A Palestinian man was shot by police officers after attempting to carry out a stabbing attack at a checkpoint near Jerusalem on Monday morning, law enforcement officials said.
According to police, the suspect, a 47-year-old from the Bethlehem area, approached the Mazmuria checkpoint near the Har Homa neighborhood of southern East Jerusalem, and aroused the suspicion of Border Police officers stationed there.
A police spokesman said the man was walking between cars as he approached the checkpoint from the direction of the West Bank, while one hand was behind his back.
Officers stationed at the checkpoint sought to question the Palestinian man, who then drew a knife from behind his back and ran toward the forces, the spokesman said. A Border Police officer shot at him in response.
Police said the suspect was taken by medics to a nearby hospital for treatment. His condition was not immediately clear.
There were no other injuries in the incident.
This handout photo from police shows a knife allegedly used by a Palestinian man in an attempted stabbing attack at the Mazmuria checkpoint near Jerusalem, September 18, 2023. (Israel Police)
Also on Monday morning, Palestinian gunmen carried out three separate shooting attacks against Israeli forces in the West Bank, the military said.
In one of the attacks, an army patrol driving along the West Bank security barrier near the northern Israeli town of Meirav came under fire. The Israel Defense Forces said a military vehicle was damaged in the attack, but no soldiers were wounded.
In another attack, a Palestinian gunman opened fire from the West Bank town of Dayr Sharaf toward a nearby army post, the IDF said.
The IDF said the post was hit by the gunfire, and no injuries were caused. Troops scanning the area for the suspect found several shell casings.
In a separate attack overnight, Palestinian gunmen opened fire at the Salem checkpoint in the northern West Bank.
Israeli troops operate in the West Bank, early September 7, 2023. (Israel Defense Forces)
No injuries were caused in that attack either, and the IDF said troops found shell casings in the nearby Palestinian village of Zububa.
During the past year, Palestinian gunmen have repeatedly targeted army posts in the West Bank, as well as settlements and civilians on the road.
The attacks came with Israeli security forces are on high alert during the Jewish High Holidays season, amid a rise in warnings and intelligence tips about possible terror attacks.
Violence has surged across the region over the past year and a half, with a rise in Palestinian shooting attacks against Israeli civilians and troops in the West Bank, near-nightly arrest raids by the military, and an uptick in revenge attacks by extremist Jewish settlers against Palestinians.
