Thursday’s escalation in violent attacks saw at least 10 Israelis injured by Palestinian terrorists.
The first attack of the day, at a Jerusalem Light Rail station, saw a 25-year-old Jewish student badly injured in a knife attack carried out by a 19-year-old Palestinian. The victim is reportedly in a serious condition in hospital after being stabbed in the neck. The attacker was caught, with a security guard suffering minor injuries when stopping him.
In Tel Aviv, a female Israeli soldier and four others were stabbed with a screwdriver near a busy road and suffered light injuries. The attacker was shot dead by IDF soldiers.
Another victim was seriously wounded in a stabbing attack by a terrorist in Kiryat Arba, near Hebron. Israeli forces were searching for the attacker after he fled the scene.
A 20-year-old Israeli soldier was later stabbed in the northern town of Afula, as well as rock-throwing reported throughout the country.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the attacks, stating that although the they did not appear to be organised, “they are all the result of wild and mendacious incitement by Hamas, the Palestinian Authority, several countries in the region and – no less and frequently much more – the Islamic Movement in Israel”.
Last month, PA President Mahmoud Abbas spoke on Palestinian television, declaring: “We welcome every drop of blood spilled in Jerusalem … With the help of Allah, every shaheed (martyr) will be in heaven, and every wounded will get his reward”.
British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond today urged for calm in the region, encouraging “all sides to take immediate steps to de-escalate the tensions and avoid actions that threaten to exacerbate the situation”. He stated that “every Israeli and Palestinian has the right to live in peace and security”, and emphasised the need for a resolution delivering peace.
