Attack comes hours after two soldiers were stabbed in central Israel.
By World Israel News Staff
An Israeli soldier was wounded in a terror shooting near the Palestinian Authority-controlled town of Beit Ummar, on the outskirts of Hebron, early Wednesday morning.
According to Hebrew-language media, the soldier was treated at the scene and then evacuated to the hospital. The terrorist who shot him was not apprehended, and searches for the perpetrator are ongoing.
The shooting occurred during a massive riot in the town, as locals hurled improvised explosive devices such as Molotov cocktails, burning tires, and rocks at IDF troops.
To date, the Israeli army did not disclose the soldier’s age, name or his current condition.
Several hours earlier, hundreds of rioters barricaded themselves inside of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in the Temple Mount compound, armed with fireworks, rocks, and other projectiles.
The police cleared the rioters from the mosque in clashes that turned violent, with videos on social media depicting fights between security forces and those refusing to leave the area. Addition footage from the scene showed small fires raging within the mosque, which were likely sparked by the rioters’ fireworks.
On Tuesday, a Palestinian from Hebron stabbed two soldiers standing at the Tzrifin Junction near Rishon LeTzion, seriously wounding one and lightly wounding the other.
The assailant, who held a work permit that allowed him to travel into Israel, was detained at the scene by good samaritans and later arrested by security forces.
The attacks against soldiers come on the eve of the Passover holiday, which falls during the ongoing month-long Muslim festival of Ramadan. Previous years have seen an uptick in terror attacks in Israel during the Islamic holiday.
Late Sunday evening, terrorists from a PA-administered enclave in northern Samaria opened fire over the Green Line towards Kibbutz Ma’ale Gilboa, striking several houses.