Israel's military announced Friday that a security incident reported Thursday in the Gush Etzion area was not a suspected ramming attack. After interrogating the suspect detained by security forces, the IDF ruled out an attempted vehicular attack, according to an official update.
The IDF on Friday afternoon reversed its initial assessment of Thursday's security incident in Gush Etzion, ruling out an attempted ramming attack following an investigation. The suspect detained by security forces was interrogated, leading the military to determine that the incident was not a deliberate vehicular attack, according to an official spokesperson. The clarification came around 24 hours after the event, which had prompted a security response at the Metzudot Yehuda crossing near Beit Omar.
On Thursday evening, at 18:25 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported that Israeli security forces had arrested two suspects—a man and a woman—at the Metzudot Yehuda crossing in connection with a suspected ramming attack, with a vehicle seized and the suspects transferred to the Etzion police station for interrogation. By 19:15 Jerusalem, the IDF and Ministry of Defense confirmed the arrest of one suspect in an attempted ramming near Beit Omar, stating no injuries occurred. Today's IDF update supersedes those initial reports, reclassifying the incident.
As The Zioneer previously reported, the Gush Etzion area has been the site of heightened security activity in recent weeks, including a manhunt on June 8 and reports of a security incident involving footage released on June 7. However, those events are not directly linked to this case, which has now been deemed not a ramming attempt.
The exact nature of the incident that triggered the security response and the arrest remains unspecified in the military's latest statement. The suspect's identity and the specific findings that led to the reversal have not been disclosed.
2 developments
- DevelopingTruck involvement reported at scene in Gush Etzion
- DevelopingIDF, Ministry of Defense confirm arrest of suspect in attempted ramming near Beit Omar
- StrongIDF confirms suspicious aerial target in northern Israel, incident ended without casualties
- DevelopingIDF clarifies: No security incident underway
Source and signal
- Internal intake