A man was convicted for the attempted murder of a soldier who survived the attack when a bullet struck her rifle at the Qalandiya checkpoint in 2021, the Jerusalem District Court said on Tuesday.
Ismail Abu Shalbak purchased a weapon the year before the incident, and decided to use it to carry out an attack. He arrived at the Qalandiya checkpoint in a vehicle, and opened fire at a soldier. The bullet struck the rifle that was slung across her chest. A security guard was injured in his arm by shrapnel.
Shalbak claimed that he didn't intend to kill the soldier, and was motivated by mental health issues. The court ruled that he clearly made a choice to shoot the soldier, and his confession couldn't be ignored.