TEL AVIV – In a horrific scene, a Palestinian terrorist broke into a civilian home and murdered an Israeli woman in front of her children.

The terrorist attack took place in the West Bank Jewish community of Otniel, in the South Hebron Hills region.

Ynetnews reported:

An investigation revealed that the woman’s children had been present just inside the home. Security forces began searching the area for the knife-wielding assailant, who fled shortly after the 5:30 PM attack, allegedly in the direction of a Palestinian town.

Israel National News has more details:

The Arab terrorist who carried out the attack succeeded in breaking into the town, entering the woman’s home and murdering her before fleeing the scene. The woman fought with the terrorist, and her children returned to the house immediately after the mother was stabbed.

Security forces are currently pursuing the terrorist, aided by a helicopter, and residents of the town were asked to stay in their homes during the manhunt. The IDF has clarified that the terrorist is no longer in the town.

Witnesses of the attack have said the terrorist worked in the town and used his familiarity with the community to carry out the attack.

Noam Bar, a senior Magen David Adom (MDA) paramedic, said, “the sight was difficult, we saw an unconscious woman aged around 40, who was not breathing and had no pulse.”

“She suffered from stab wounds to her upper body; we performed continued resuscitation but in the end we were forced to pronounce her death,” said Bar.

The Jerusalem Post notes the incident comes “hours after a Palestinian knife attacker was shot dead while trying to stab Israelis at Hativa Square near Nablus, near the headquarters of the Samaria territorial Brigade.”

Also earlier Sunday, Breitbart Jerusalem reported three Israeli-Arabs were detained by security forces outside of a Jerusalem synagogue on suspicion of planning a knife attack.

Aaron Klein is Breitbart’s Jerusalem bureau chief. He is a New York Times bestselling author and hosts the popular weekend talk radio program, “Aaron Klein Investigative Radio.”  Follow him on Twitter @AaronKleinShow. Follow him on Facebook.