A Palestinian attacker threw stones at an IDF soldier on leave who was grazing sheep in southern Judea on Saturday, moderately wounding him and snatching his weapon. The attacker fired the weapon in the air and fled. Israeli security forces are searching for the suspect. Local Jewish leaders report a rise in such attacks.
On Saturday, a Palestinian attacker threw stones at an IDF soldier on leave who was grazing sheep in southern Judea, moderately wounding him and snatching his weapon. The attacker fired the stolen weapon in the air before fleeing, according to Israeli security sources. Security forces are searching for the suspect, who remains at large.
The attack follows a similar incident earlier in the week near Susya in the Judean Hills, where an off-duty soldier was also attacked and his weapon was snatched. The IDF later recovered that weapon, as The Zioneer reported on Saturday evening. The thread of reports shows that initial descriptions of the Susya incident evolved from a 'violent stone-throwing clash' to the recovery of the weapon, with the suspect still being pursued.
Local Jewish leaders in the region have warned of a rise in attacks on shepherds and farmers. The Zioneer has reported on multiple such incidents in recent weeks, including a shepherd lightly wounded in the Hebron Mountains on July 16 and an attack in eastern Binyamin on July 9, where a Jewish man was injured and dozens of sheep were stolen. The pattern of violence has drawn concern from community representatives.
The identity of the suspect in the latest attack remains unknown. No group has claimed responsibility. The military has not released further details on the soldier's condition or the ongoing search operation.
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