A Palestinian man was shot dead after attempting to stab two Israeli hitchhikers near Shiloh, Judea and Samaria police said on Monday. Both civilians escaped unharmed. Police spokesman Dani Poleg confirmed that the attacker was killed by an Israeli civilian who fired on him using his handgun. The incident took place at a hitchhiking post on Highway 60, between Shiloh and the Eli Junction, on Monday evening. "We have a military report saying the assailant is now dead. Two civilians were at the scene during the attack, and one fired on the Palestinian attacker," Poleg said.
He explained that police were taking eyewitness testimonials on the scene and that the investigation was not yet complete.
An initial police investigation found that the assailant had approached the two hitchhikers with his hands in his pockets and began asking them questions in English. Seconds later, he pulled out a knife and attempted to stab one of them. One of the Israelis drew his handgun and fired on the attacker, killing him.
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A second knife was later found during a search of the assailant's body. A police sapper checked the body to ensure that he had no explosive devices. Police said the would-be stabber was around 20 years old and came from the Hebron area. He was apparently a student at Bir Zeit University.