Palestinian stabs man to death in West Bank

A PALESTINIAN has stabbed an Israeli man to death at a bus stop near a West Bank settlement before fleeing the scene, Israeli officials said.

The military said an army officer chased the assailant after the stabbing at a bus stop near the entrance to Ariel, hitting him with his vehicle, but the attacker got away.

Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said the Israeli man died from stab wounds shortly after.

Israeli media identified the victim as Itamar Ben Gal, a 29-yearold father of four.

Channel 2 News aired footage from the scene showing the attacker crossing a busy road and then lunging at the man, taking him by surprise.

Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu offered his condolences and said security forces are “currently chasing the murderers”.

Last month, an Israeli was killed in a drive-by shooting near a settlement outpost in the West Bank.

Palestinians want the West Bank, which Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war, as part of their future state.

Most of the international community views Israeli settlements there as illegal and an obstacle to peace. Israel says the fate of settlements must be resolved through negotiations.

There has been a spike in Palestinian violence since President Donald Trump’s December 6 recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

The move sparked outrage across the Muslim world, where it was seen as the US taking Israel’s side on the most contentious issue of the decades-old conflict.

Palestinians have clashed with Israeli troops in the West Bank and along the Gaza-Israeli border, and 19 Palestinians have been killed in the violence.