A Palestinian car thief drove a vehicle through a security post at Israel’s main airport on Wednesday night.
By United with Israel Staff
Late Wednesday night, a Palestinian smashed through a security post at the entrance to Israel’s main airport, Ben Gurion International.
The intruder didn’t injure any bystanders, but the incident caused delays and long queues for travelers trying to enter the airport.
According to an investigation by local law enforcement, the Palestinian driver crashed through a barrier at the airport’s entrance around 1:15am. Security initially thought the incident was a car-ramming terror attack.
The vehicle was discovered to be stolen and and was later found at a nearby filling station. The driver was subsequently apprehended by security guards and delivered to the police. He remains in custody, awaiting a hearing related to both the collision at the airport and theft of the vehicle, which was stolen from the coastal town of Bat Yam.
While no flights were postponed and all airport activity returned to normal relatively quickly, the incident sparked panic initially.
“This is another serious incident of an attempt to harm and endanger the security forces by a resident of the [Palestinian Authority’s] territories, who entered Israel in violation of the law through the breached fence in order to damage the property of the residents of the country while posing a real risk to public safety during the attempt to escape from the law,” the said the Israel Police in a statement published by TPS.
“Israel’s security system is on high alert as it fears a wave of terrorism as the Jewish New Year and High Holidays commence next week,” added the TPS report.