Armed Palestinian arrested after impersonating IDF soldier near Jewish outpost

Initial reports indicate that the suspect may have been on his way to carry out an attack at Ma’ale Levona.

By Tobias Siegal, World Israel News

IDF combat soldiers from the Kfir Brigade arrested on Monday a Palestinian dressed as an IDF soldier near the city of Ariel in Judea and Samaria.

Residents noticed the suspect walking down Road 60 near the outpost of Ma’ale Levona south-east of Ariel and alerted security forces after his appearance had raised their suspicion.

Upon his arrest, IDF troops found in his bag a hunting rifle, a knife and pepper spray.

The suspect, a resident of Jenin, was interrogated on the scene, the IDF reported.

Initial reports indicate that the suspect may have been on his way to carry out an attack at Ma’ale Levona, possibly as an act of revenge for the shootout that took place overnight in the city and saw four terrorists killed by IDF troops. However, the details are not yet clear and the investigation is ongoing.

According to TPS, citing a source from the Palestinian Authority (PA), the suspect’s father is an officer in the PA Preventive Security Service in Jenin.

ArielIDFIsraeli SoldiersIsraeli-Palestinian conflictJudea and Samaria