IDF Responds to Palestinian Attack on Shepherd Near Jenin

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) clarified reports of a shooting incident near Jenin, stating that soldiers fired at the legs of Palestinians who had surrounded and attempted to drive away a Jewish shepherd near the village of Faqu'a. The soldiers, deployed to the area to reinforce security during the holidays, initially fired into the air before shooting at the lower extremities of the attackers. Olive farm owners in the Gilboa region, whose shepherd was targeted, explained that a group of Arabs from Faqu'a approached their shepherd, and despite soldiers establishing a boundary, the crowd advanced with stones. The soldiers fired warning shots, but as the crowd continued to close in, posing a potential threat to their weapons, they received authorization to shoot at the attackers' legs, leading to their retreat. The IDF confirmed the force was responding to a report of friction between Israeli civilians and Palestinians.

Separately, a soldier on leave opened fire with his service weapon at Palestinians near Ramallah on Highway 458, between the settlement of Kochav Ya'akov and the Arab village of al-Mughayir. The IDF stated this shooting was in response to stone-throwing at a vehicle. However, police have detained the soldier and opened an investigation, and the military has suspended him pending the inquiry. It remains unclear whether the soldier was a conscript or a reservist.