Israeli soldiers ordered to take weapons with them when off duty

Chief of Staff of the Israeli army Maj Gadi Eizenkot, on Tuesday ordered all soldiers who go out on leave to carry their personal weapons as a months-long wave of Palestinian attacks shows no signs of abating, according to Israeli reports.

Israel Radio said the order was issued following last week's knife attack near Ramallah in the occupied West Bank in which Sergeant Yanai Wissman was stabbed to death while on leave and was unarmed.

The broadcast said soldiers will receive orders on how to keep and use their personal arms when exposed to attack.