JERUSALEM (JTA) — A Palestinian man was killed at the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron when he refused police orders to halt.
The man tried to avoid a security checkpoint at the shrine, which is holy to both Muslims and Jews, and began running toward another guard post. He ignored orders to stop, according to reports. Israeli soldiers opened fire and killed the suspected terrorist.
An Israeli policeman was wounded in the incident.
The Palestinian’s body was checked for explosives, according to reports.
A Palestinian boy was detained last week for trying to pass through the checkpoint with a knife.
The incident comes following the announcement Tuesday that the Zion Road, which leads from Palestinian neighborhoods to the Jewish neighborhoods of Hebron, will be open to Palestinian traffic beginning next week. The road was closed to Palestinian cars in 2001 after several shooting attacks against Jews in Hebron.
