Two Palestinian terrorists shot after stabbing Israeli in Beit Shemesh

The current wave of Palestinian terrorism continues into Thursday as two terrorists attempted to board a school bus, but after being blocked from doing so, managed to stab a Jewish man nearby. Both terrorists were shot by security forces and one died later of his wounds.

By: Aryeh Savir, World Israel News

Two Palestinian terrorists stabbed an Israeli man in Beit Shemesh, west of Jerusalem, on Thursday morning and were subsequently shot by police.

The Israeli victim, 18, sustained moderate wounds to his upper body. He was evacuated to Hadassah Ein Kerem hospital in Jerusalem.

Several other bystanders were treated on site for shock.

The terrorists, both aged 20, were seriously wounded. They were evacuated for further treatment at an Israeli hospital in Jerusalem, and one of them died of his wounds.

Police said the two were wearing t-shirts with insignia of the Iz a-Din al-Kassam Brigades, the military wing of the Hamas terror organization, under their shirts.

Witnesses said that the terrorists first attempted to board a children’s school bus and were pushed off.

Bystanders called the police, and a police cruiser arrived on the scene, saw the terrorists stabbing the victim at a bus stop and shot them.

Other eyewitnesses said the terrorists intended to enter a synagogue in the vicinity.

A police commander at the scene lauded the police officers for their quick and decisive action, which prevented the terrorists from carrying out a much larger attack.

“It’s not easy, we’re in the eye of the storm,” Beit Shemesh Mayor Moshe Abutbul said. He described some of the security threats his city faces, and said the municipality was working on possible solutions.

The incident is the latest in a month-long wave of daily terror attacks on Israelis by Palestinian terrorists, which began on September 14. Ten Israelis were murdered, mainly in stabbing attacks.

Recent terror attacks include 40 stabbings, four shootings and five vehicular attacks.

Israeli Dies Tragically

In another tragic incident, an IDF soldier shot and killed an Israeli Jew he suspected was a Palestinian terrorist in Jerusalem late Wednesday night

Rosenfeld said soldiers deployed in Jerusalem to reinforce police demanded late Wednesday that the man show them his ID as he got off a bus. The man refused, scuffled with the soldiers and then attempted to seize one of their weapons. One soldier shot the man, who later died of his wounds, Rosenfeld said.

“The soldiers had high suspicions that he was a terrorist,” he said. Israeli media said the man had asked for the soldiers’ ID’s first, but Rosenfeld was not able to confirm that detail. He said the incident is under investigation.

This incident is a reflection of the jittery mood that has gripped Israelis amid a spate of daily Palestinian terror attacks.

Israelis have scrambled to purchase pepper spray for self-defense and some government officials have called for citizens to carry firearms for protection.

Israel has beefed up security across the country, sending hundreds of soldiers to back up thousands of police officers on the streets.

AP contributed to this report. 

Beit ShemeshEin KeremHamasIDFJerusalemMoshe AbutbulTerror Attack