IDF Border Police Foil Attack at Qalandiya Checkpoint, Injure Two Suspects

At the Qalandiya checkpoint near the West Bank, two suspects in a civilian vehicle approached a gate designated exclusively for security forces. The suspects attacked Border Police officers with punches and chokeholds and attempted to seize their weapons. One of the officers fired shots at the suspects, wounding them lightly. Several Border Police officers were also lightly injured in the confrontation.

According to police, a Border Police unit was en route to an operational mission when they reached the gate near Qalandiya, which is reserved for security personnel. The unit passed through and waited for the gate to close when the civilian vehicle tried to enter from the West Bank side toward Israeli territory. The officers approached the vehicle to verify the occupants’ identities, prompting several suspects to exit and attack the officers.

During the assault, a female officer fired a warning shot into the air, but the suspects continued their attack. One officer, seeing a suspect choking a fellow officer and fearing for his life and those of his comrades, fired at the lower body of two suspects. The officer then provided first aid until medical teams arrived. It was later revealed that the two suspects, who were lightly wounded and hospitalized, were employed as security guards but were not identified as such during the incident. The police are investigating the circumstances of the event.