According to military investigators, the terrorist who infiltrated into the Southern Chevron Hills community of Yishuv Bet Chaggai at 6:30am on Friday morning (April 17th) intended to target children on their way to school. Investigators have established the terrorist passed a number of community residents and he could have targeted them, but opted to ignore them and continue towards achieving his objective, murdering Jewish children.

Resident Eliezer Laav suspected something was amiss when he set eyes on the Arab male, concerned he may be a thief, prompting him to summon a friend to confront the man. The terrorist made a move to attack a resident, prompting Laav to draw his handgun and fire at him; but the weapon jammed. Laav was lightly injured by the terrorist who attacked him with a knife.

The gunfire alerted the community’s first response team, arriving to find the terrorist was already dead. Laav’s weapon did eventually fire and he eliminated the lone attacker. The community was closed down and residents ordered to remain in their homes in accordance to standard protocol as soldiers combed the area for additional terrorists. It was determined that the terrorist, who was a resident of nearby PA autonomous area of Chevron, acted alone.

Investigators also report that security surveillance cameras detected the infiltrator but soldiers failed to order a response, leaving senior military commanders wondering why soldiers did not signal an emergency after determining the Arab male was in the area.
About two weeks ago, 16-year-old Shlomo Nativ was murdered in the Gush Etzion area community of Yishuv Bat Ayin, north of Chevron.

IDF commanders are concerned over the apparent increase in terror acts in Yehuda and Shomron of late. On Shabbos morning, two policemen were injured when an Arab taxi driver tried running them over at the Hizme Checkpoint on the northern border of Jerusalem. The driver told authorities his actions were intentional. On Friday night, firebombs were hurled at homes in the Shomron community of Bet El. Baruch Hashem, there were no injuries.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)