The terrorist who murdered two IDF soldiers last week in a ramming attack near Shechem was released by Palestinian security officials, Army Radio reported on Monday morning.

The terrorist had fled the scene immediately after the attack and drove to Shechem, where he turned himself into the Palestinian police.

The Shin Bet requested that the terrorist be extradited. Instead, the Palestinian police released him on Friday, claiming that the terrorist said that the ramming was an “accident.”

According to the Army Radio report, the Palestinian authorities had proposed to the Shin Bet to establish a joint investigative committee on the incident but the Shin Bet refused as the attack was obviously premeditated.

Meanwhile, the terrorist, a resident of Shechem in his 40s, is free but has not returned to his home. The IDF and Shin Bet are searching for him.

The IDF and Shin Bet responded to an inquiry on the matter by stating. “The security forces are constantly working to arrest terrorists, including the terrorist suspected of murdering the two soldiers.”

The two soldiers murdered in the attack were Staff Sgt. Eliya Hilel H’yd, 20, of Tel Zion, and Staff Sgt. Diego Shvisha Harsaj, H’yd, 20, of Tel Aviv.

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)