Israeli forces arrest 21 Palestinians who attacked Rachel’s Tomb

Israeli security forces have arrested Palestinian terrorists, most of them juveniles, who constantly throw rocks, firebombs and fireworks at people visiting Rachel’s Tomb. 

Israeli security forces have arrested 21 Palestinians over the past months who are suspected of having committed terror attacks against Rachel’s Tomb, on the outskirts of Bethlehem, the police announced Sunday.

The suspects, 16 of them juveniles, launched fireworks at the compound and threw rocks, firebombs and improvised explosive devices at the holy site.

The holy site marks the burial place of the matriarch Rachel and is frequented by Jewish worshipers.

Israeli security forces conducted an intensive investigation, and arrested the suspects, who operated as terror cells.

The attacks, which were executed over the past months and mostly on Fridays, caused damage to the religious site, but did not cause casualties.

The terrorists learned how to produce the bombs through online clips. The explosives were acquired at a store in the Aida refugee camp. The store was raided and tens of boxes of firecrackers were confiscated.

“The police views the attacks on Rachel’s Tomb with severity, incidents which caused much damage and risked the lives of the worshippers and the security forces,” the police stated, vowing to continue with its activities to secure the compound.

In related news, Israeli security forces conducted counter-terror operations throughout Judea and Samaria Sunday night, arresting 14 Palestinians in connection with acts of terrorism, four of them members of the Hamas terror organization.

By: Aryeh Savir, World Israel News

bethlehemPalestinian terrorRachel's Tomb