Police arrest Palestinian teen who admitted to plan to stab IDF soldier, die as 'martyr'

A 16-year-old Palestinian boy in custody has admitted to planning to attack an IDF soldier and die as a martyr, police announced Tuesday. The suspect, from the village of Nahaleen in the West Bank, was arrested Saturday night following a report of an attempted terrorist infiltration into the Gush Etzion settlement of Neve Daniel.

Initially telling security forces he was thirsty, the boy confessed after 24 hours of interrogation that he intended to find an IDF soldier to attack. He also stated he planned to take his own life, thus becoming a martyr. During the investigation, he showed officers the route he took from his home and where he hid the weapon, a kitchen knife taken from his residence. Police are seeking to extend his detention to complete the investigation.

In a separate incident on Tuesday, officers arrested a 34-year-old Palestinian man near Hebron on Highway 60 after he reportedly stated his intention to attack civilians. He was taken for questioning.

Separately, police in Yavne arrested five individuals suspected of kidnapping a man. The victim was found unharmed, and authorities believe this incident to be criminal rather than terrorism-related.