Palestinian carrying ax arrested in the West Bank

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A Palestinian man carrying an ax and a suicide note was arrested in the West Bank Sunday night, police said.

The ax found in the suspect’s car in the West Bank, Sunday.

The 22-year-old suspect, from the West Bank city of Al-Bireh, was searching for victims for about an hour prior to his arrest, scouring for Israelis who were standing alone, an initial police investigation shows.

While searching the suspect’s vehicle, police found a suicide note, indicating his intentions of carrying out a “revenge” attack. He has been detained for questioning.

“The police’s vigilance and pursuit [of the suspect] has apparently prevented a major attack,” said area police commander Haim Sagrof.

Over the last two months, a string of Palestinian attacks in Israel and the West Bank have left 19 dead.

Last week, well-known Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh was killed by gunfire during an Israeli raid in the West Bank city of Jenin, and police used batons and stun grenades against mourners during her funeral procession. The incidents punctuated months of tensions stemming from clashes on Temple Mount in Jerusalem and the spate of terrorist attacks.

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Meanwhile, at least 27 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces, some related to operations to locate suspects in the attacks.