A passenger arrives to a terminal at Ben Gurion international airport before Israel bans international flights, January 25, 2021. Photo: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun

i24 News – A Palestinian who crossed into Israel illegally crashed a stolen vehicle into a checkpoint at Ben Gurion Airport on Sunday morning before being shot by security guards, Israeli police said in a statement.

The suspect entered Israel from the West Bank, stole a car from the center of the country and drove toward the airport. The vehicle approached the checkpoint at a high rate of speed before ramming into it and then driving on the wrong side of the road.

Airport security opened fire and also deployed roadblocks. The suspect was slightly wounded in the incident and was arrested and taken for questioning. The Israel Airports Authority said the “vehicle was stopped en route to Terminal 3,” and “the incident is under investigation.”

As security guards tried to arrest the violator, passengers in Terminal 3 were asked to lie on the ground and not move for a few minutes.

Terminal 3, which houses the majority of flights departing from Tel Aviv, is a couple of miles from the checkpoint at the entrance to the airport area. This configuration makes it possible to control this type of incident, and leaves time to apprehend any suspects before they access the terminal where there are always thousands of passengers.

Last September, a Palestinian also broke through the checkpoint at the entrance to Ben Gurion Airport with a stolen vehicle. A security guard then pulled out his gun and fired at the car. The suspect, a 35-year-old West Bank resident, fled to a gas station, abandoning the vehicle. He was then arrested.