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Terror in Jerusalem: Three stabbing attacks in three days

Security analysts have attributed the increased violence to the escape of the six terrorist refugees from the Gilboa Prison last week.

By Tobias Siegal, World Israel News

Two individuals in their 20s were stabbed near Jerusalem’s central station on Monday afternoon in a suspected terrorist attack and were evacuated to the nearby Shaare Zedek Medical Center in moderate condition.

The stabber, later identified as a 17-year-old resident of Hebron, was shot in the chest by a Border Police officer and was critically injured.

“The scene was chaotic when we first arrived,” said MDA paramedic Shlomi Pinhas. “The two injured victims were conscious and were lying on the ground while suffering from multiple stabbing wounds. We treated them at the scene by stopping the bleeding and administering medication before quickly evacuating them to a hospital in moderate condition.”

The Israel Police later said that it was searching for people who may have assisted the suspected terrorist reach Jerusalem and carry out the attack.

Earlier on Monday, an attempted stabbing attack was foiled by IDF troops at the Gush Etzion Junction, just south of Jerusalem.

According to the IDF, the suspect approached the junction and once noticing a group of soldiers standing near a bus stop, started running toward them while shouting “Allahu Akbar” and holding a knife in his hand.

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The soldiers responded and shot the suspected terrorist, critically injuring him.

No other injuries were reported in the incident.

Another incident was reported on Friday last week, when a police officer was injured during an attempted stabbing attack in Jerusalem’s Old City.

This past week has seen an increase in violent confrontations reported between Palestinian individuals and Israeli security forces, which may remind Jerusalem residents of the terrorism wave of 2015 that was characterized by Palestinian individuals, many of them very young, who carried out similar stabbing stabbing attacks throughout the capital for months on end. In 2015, such attacks were inspired “by vicious incitement in Palestinian social and traditional media,” according to the Israeli Foreign Ministry.

The same can be said about this renewed round of attacks. Security analysts have attributed the increased violence to the escape of the six terrorist refugees from the Gilboa Prison last week, two of whom are still on the run. Three of the fugitives are members of the Islamic Jihad, which has openly called on the Palestinian public to confront Israeli security forces since the manhunt began.

“There is no doubt that we are seeing an escalation,” Israel Police Jerusalem District Commander Doron Turjeman told reporters after Monday’s attacks. “We are prepared, deployed in the field and ready for any scenario.”

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The heightened tensions have also manifested in more violence along the Gaza border, disrupting the daily lives of Israel’s southern population once again. Rocket attacks from Gaza, attributed to the Islamic Jihad, have also been renewed in the past three days.