IDF troops kill Palestinian near Hebron

Palestinian at checkpoint near Jenin found with two ready pipe bombs.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
idf in jenin 298 ap (photo credit: AP [file])
idf in jenin 298 ap
(photo credit: AP [file])
A Palestinian woman carrying a knife was caught by IDF soldiers at checkpoint 300, at the entrance to Bethlehem Saturday afternoon. She told her interrogators that she had intended to stab a policeman at the checkpoint, Army Radio reported. Early Saturday morning, the IDF reported that an explosive device was found near the body of a 17-year-old Palestinian who was shot and killed by IDF troops patrolling near Hebron on Friday evening. The troops were patrolling near the village of Beit Kakhil when an explosion occurred not far from their vehicle. They searched the area and spotted the Palestinian, who was reportedly holding a suspicious object, on a nearby hilltop. The soldiers opened fire at the Palestinian, fatally wounding him. According to security sources the Palestinian was a member of Hamas, although there was no immediate claim of responsibility for the explosion. Additional searches in the area turned up another explosive that had been placed near a local road. Also Saturday morning, a 17-year-old Palestinian was caught at the Salem checkpoint near Jenin carrying two pipe bombs ready for use. The two pipe bombs fell out while soldiers manning the checkpoint inspected him after noticing suspicious behavior. According to security officials the Palestinian said he intended to detonate them near the soldiers. The army noted that this is not the first time that Palestinians have taken advantage of attempts by Israel to facilitate the passage of Palestinians through the checkpoint. On October 10, soldiers arrested a 17-year-old Palestinian armed with a knife, and on October 9, 2003, a suicide bomber blew up at the district coordinating office at the checkpoint wounding two soldiers. Meanwhile, at the Hawara checkpoint south of Nablus, two Palestinians youths were arrested after they were found to be carrying jackknives. Shortly after a third Palestinian teenager was caught at the checkpoint attempting to smuggle an M16 rifle and ammunition. On Friday, a 17-year-old Palestinian was lightly wounded in the leg when he was shot by soldiers in Silwad, north of Ramallah, Friday after they mistook a toy gun he was brandishing as a real one. According to the army, soldiers positioned above the village spotted the Palestinian shooting on Highway 60. A patrol reached the area and received a report from an Israeli motorist claiming she heard gunfire. Soldiers then spotted the Palestinian and shot him in the leg. The youth was taken by the IDF to an Israeli hospital. During the preliminary inquiry into the shooting, it was revealed that the gun was a toy cap pistol.