Two terrorists stabbed an Israeli civilian near the settlement of Itamar in Samaria on Thursday afternoon during firefighting efforts to contain a nearby blaze, the IDF Spokesperson said. The attackers were shot and killed by another Israeli civilian at the scene. The wounded man was evacuated by a Unit 669 helicopter to a hospital. Security forces have surrounded the village of Beit Furik and are searching the area, as fire investigators probe the cause of the fire.
The IDF Spokesperson's official confirmation, released at 13:36 Jerusalem, now provides the full account of Thursday's stabbing attack near Itamar. The military stated that two Palestinian terrorists stabbed an Israeli civilian during firefighting efforts, and another civilian at the scene shot and killed the assailants. The wounded man was evacuated by a Unit 669 helicopter. This official statement corroborates earlier media reports that had already detailed the attack.
The story unfolded rapidly from initial reports. At 12:25 Jerusalem, multiple media outlets reported a stabbing at Havat Derech Abraham near Alon Moreh, with a 51-year-old man seriously wounded. Subsequent reports clarified that the terrorists had set a fire as a lure, and that the victim had come to extinguish it. The preliminary investigation by Channel 14 revealed the arson-lure tactic. The IDF then confirmed that a civilian at the scene eliminated the attackers, and placed a cordon on the village of Beit Furik.
The attack follows a pattern of arson used as a lure in the area. As The Zioneer reported on June 30, arsonists set a fire near Itamar that was contained by volunteers and fire crews. The current incident also involved a fire, though the IDF has not explicitly confirmed that the terrorists set it. Fire investigators are probing the cause of the blaze.
The IDF has not yet commented on whether the fire was deliberately set by the terrorists, and the investigation into the fire's origin continues. The condition of the wounded civilian has not been updated since the initial serious designation.
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