A 16 year old Arab from Hebron was arrested last night after confessing that he stabbed an Israeli soldier yesterday near the Machpela cave (Patriarchs Tomb) in Hebron and stole his submachine gun and bullets. The soldier is recovering in a hospital. The youth was one of 30 suspects detained for questioning after the incident. The others were released.
The stabbing occurred in the morning when the soldier was on his way to the cave for a routine inspection before the site was opened to the public. Israeli authorities attributed the attack to inflammatory broadcasts from Arab countries. A similar incident took place near Jerusalem several months ago when Arab high school students attacked a soldier and stole his weapon.
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