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BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- An Israeli soldier on Thursday was celebrated in an American Jewish weekly as "the Terminator" after he shot and killed three Palestinians in nine days.

The Jewish Press ran an article on the soldier, known only as "Corporal T", under the headline “Meet the Terminator,” referring to the cyborg of the Hollywood film franchise.

The soldier shot and killed 25-year-old Malik Talal al-Shareef after an alleged stabbing attempt on an Israeli soldier in the Gush Etzion settlement bloc near Bethlehem on Thursday.

Nine days earlier, on Oct. 17, Israeli reports say he killed another two Palestinians in the same illegal settlement bloc.Shadi Nabil Abd al-Muti Dweik, 22, and Shabaan Abu Shkeidem, 17, were shot dead in the area after an Israeli soldier was stabbed and injured.

“Corporal T,” who has reportedly spent just two months in operational duty, was described by his fellow officers as a “young warrior,” according to The Jewish Press.

"Kfir Brigade officers commended the rapid response and cool temper of the warrior, who prevented more serious results," their report said.

"According to them, the fact that he is a young warrior, who’s only been in uniform a total of eight months, only two of those in operational duty, did not affect his focused and precise actions in both cases."

Israeli news site Ynet also praised the soldier’s actions, citing his “alert and accurate response” during the incidents as “impressive.”
The celebration of the 19-year-old soldier's actions comes after a deadly month in the occupied Palestinian territory that left at least 69 Palestinians dead.

The majority were shot and killed by Israeli forces after allegedly attempting attacks on Israelis, although Palestinians and rights groups have raised questions over Israel's version of events in a number of cases.

There has been widespread criticism of Israel’s “shoot to kill” policy advocated by Israeli officials. Israeli rights group B’Tselem said last month that the policy has led to high numbers of unnecessary deaths.

Last month UN Secretery-General Ban-Ki Moon said that "a number of incidents, many caught on video and widely disseminated, call into question the degree of response, including the apparent disproportionate use of lethal force as a first resort.”