Israel Defense Forces troops overnight Saturday shot and killed a Palestinian who threw an explosive device at them during a counterterrorism operation near Nablus (Shechem) in Samaria, the military said.
The IDF confirmed the troops “responded with fire and eliminated the terrorist,” adding that no Israeli forces were injured.
On Saturday, two security incidents were reported in the Binyamin region of southern Samaria, including an attempted terrorist infiltration at one farm and the poisoning of livestock at another.
In the morning, Palestinians from the village of Al-Mughayyir entered the grazing area of Metzudat David Farm in eastern Binyamin, scattering poisoned dates intended to kill the herd.
The Jewish shepherd who witnessed the incident alerted Israeli security forces, resulting in the arrest of a suspect near the scene.
The incident reportedly took place in the area where the IDF uprooted Arab olive trees following an Aug. 21 terrorist shooting targeting Jewish shepherds, in which one Israeli was wounded.
The Binyamin Regional Council said in a statement that clearing the trees redirected the attackers away from nearby Alon Road and allowed security forces to quickly reach the scene after the alert.
On Saturday afternoon, several Palestinians arrived at Beit Karnayim Farm in western Binyamin in a jeep and an ATV in what local security officials described as an attempted infiltration.
Farmers fired several warning shots to repel the attackers, prompting them to flee. Their vehicles became stuck in a ditch and were abandoned.
Israel Ganz, head of the Binyamin Regional Council and chairman of the Yesha Council, the umbrella organization for Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria, said the incidents highlight the ongoing threat.
“The recent events once again remind us who our enemies are and what they intend to do. I thank the security forces, the IDF and the police for their swift action to protect our residents,” Ganz said. “I call on decision-makers to recognize the threat and intensify operations on the ground.”
Palestinian terrorist groups carried out at least 6,343 attacks targeting Israeli Jewish civilians in Judea and Samaria last year, according to data from Rescuers Without Borders (Hatzalah Judea and Samaria). The tally does not include the hundreds of additional attacks directed at security forces.
Twenty-seven Israeli civilians were killed in Judea and Samaria in 2024 and more than 300 were wounded, the report noted.
