Description

Photo:
An IDF outpost on Har Brakha. Credit: Daniel Bar-On
Published by Haaretz
____

Soldiers suffer light to moderate injuries; Palestinian assailants flee the scene.

by Gili Cohen for Haaretz

Two Israeli soldiers were stabbed on Wednesday in an attack at a settlement in the northern West Bank. 

The two soldiers were stabbed while at a guard post at the Har Bracha settlement, located in the northern West Bank, near Nablus, the IDF Spokesperson's Unit said.

The Palestinian assailants have fled the scene. Military forces were sweeping the area in attempt to locate them.

One of the two has been taken in light-to-moderate condition by Magen David Adom ambulance service for further treatment at the Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva. The other solider was being treated at the scene by IDF medical staff, emergency services said.

A preliminary investigation into the incident showed that, at first, forces alerted to the scene feared that the soldiers' weapons had been stolen during the attack, but they were later found at the guard post. Apparently, the soldiers weren't carrying their guns when they were attacked.

One of the soldiers reported that three Palestinians had arrived at their guard post, stabbed the soldiers, and troops were searching for the terrorists. Two soldiers at the post were stabbed. The IDF can be expected to investigate how the forces handled the situation.

Early on Wednesday, an Israeli resident of the West Bank settlement of Eli was lightly wounded in a stabbing attack. Two Palestinian suspects were shot and killed by Israeli soldiers after initially fleeing the scene.
_______

BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Two Israeli soldiers were stabbed and injured during "patrol" near Nablus in the northern occupied West Bank on Wednesday evening, an Israeli army spokesperson said.

The spokesperson said the soldiers were stabbed and injured by "two assailants" who fled the scene. Israeli forces were searching the area.

Hebrew media reported that the attackers "took the weapons" of the two soldiers, before fleeing the scene near the illegal Israeli settlement of Har Brakha.

Medics did not initially provide the condition of the two injured soldiers, though Hebrew media reported their injuries as "light."
Earlier on Wednesday, Israeli forces shot dead two Palestinian teenagers after they allegedly attacked an Israeli settler in the illegal settlement of Eli, also in Nablus.

An Israeli army spokesperson said they "infiltrated" the settlement early Wednesday morning and attacked the Israeli settler as he was leaving his home.

She said Israeli forces arrived on the scene and responded to the "significant threat" by opening fire on the two teenagers, killing both of them.

The settler was evacuated to Shaare Zedek Hospital in Jerusalem with light injuries.

The majority of Palestinians attacks since a wave of unrest swept the occupied territory in October last year have been directed at Israeli military forces deployed in the West Bank.

Around 180 Palestinians and nearly 30 Israelis have now been killed since the beginning of October, and the UN warned recently that the violence showed "no signs of relenting."