Terrorist killed as he tries to stab soldiers near Idhna, Israel

Israeli forces on Monday killed a Palestinian terrorist who stabbed and seriously wounded an Israeli man at a farm near the village of Usarin in the West Bank earlier in the day.

According to the Israel Defense Forces, the attacker, armed with a knife, approached the victim at Maoz Yehuda farm, asked whether he was armed, and then stabbed him multiple times before fleeing the scene in a vehicle. The victim, a man in his early 20s from Migdal HaEmek, sustained wounds to the head, neck, and limbs. He was treated at the scene by medical teams, including Rescuers Without Borders, and evacuated by helicopter to Rabin Medical Center-Beilinson Campus in Petah Tikva in moderate-to-serious condition. He remained conscious.

IDF troops were rapidly deployed to the area, launched a pursuit, and imposed a cordon on nearby villages. After roughly an hour-long manhunt, soldiers located the terrorist near his vehicle. When he attempted to stab the troops, a company commander from the 411th Artillery Battalion opened fire and eliminated him.

In an official statement, the IDF said: “IDF troops located the terrorist near his vehicle in the area of Idhna. He attempted to stab the troops and was subsequently eliminated. The IDF will continue to operate to thwart terrorism and maintain security in Judea and Samaria.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the forces involved, stating that “no terrorist can hide” and that Israel would continue to eliminate terrorists and those who dispatch them. Defense Minister Israel Katz said he and Netanyahu had directed the IDF to prepare for intensified operations against terrorist infrastructure in the West Bank.

The incident is the latest in a series of stabbing and other attacks in the region. Security forces continue to investigate the perpetrator’s background; initial reports indicated he was known to authorities.