MOSCOW (Sputnik) – At least five people were arrested in the southern West Bank for attempting to attack Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Central Command Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth during an annual pilgrimage in the city of Hebron, an Israeli newspaper reported on Saturday.
Bluth was reportedly in the flashpoint city on Friday to secure the gathering when several dozen Jewish individuals chased him and his accompanying soldiers, calling the IDF commander a «traitor.»
The Central Command head, who typically has a fraught relationship with local extremist settlers, and the accompanying soldiers were not injured in the attack, the newspaper reported.
Israeli authorities say that about 1,200 people were killed during the raid. In response, the IDF launched Operation Iron Swords in the Gaza Strip and announced a complete blockade of the enclave.
