BICOM

The Palestinian Authority (PA) helped Israeli forces prevent a terrorist attack in Hebron targeting Israeli soldiers, it was announced yesterday by Palestinian sources.

PA security forces informed their Israeli counterparts that a plan was in its advanced stages to target an IDF checkpoint in the West Bank city of Hebron. The assailant was set to throw a Molotov cocktail at Israeli soldiers and escape the scene, leading those pursuing him towards a pre-prepared explosive device in the Palestinian section of the city. The terrorist was then to detonate the device to cause maximum casualties.

Thanks to the intelligence from the PA, Israeli sappers from the Israel Police bomb squad safely diffused the device on Friday night, which consisted of an explosive charge attached to a large gas canister.

The assailant was arrested by PA forces and reported to be a resident of the West Bank town of Kalkilya. Media reports suggest that he is part of a cell based abroad, with speculation that he spent time in Balkan countries where he was recruited.

Hebron and the surrounding area has been a focus of violence during the past year, with a small Jewish Israeli population living adjacent to a large Palestinian population. Since October 2015, Palestinian terror attacks have killed 42 people with many taking place in the Hebron area.

Although a diplomatic stalemate exists between Israel and the PA, security cooperation between the two sides continues. Both are keen to prevent widespread violence in the West Bank and to stop Hamas from increasing its strength.

In a separate development, Palestinian media reports that twelve Palestinians were arrested by Israeli forces last night in the Hebron, Bethlehem and Ramallah regions. The IDF said that at least one of those arrested was a Hamas operative.