Terror in Jerusalem: 2 injured in stabbing attack at Central Bus Station

Terror in Jerusalem: 2 injured in stabbing attack at Central Bus Station

Two Israeli men were moderately injured in a stabbing attack at a store next to the Central Bus Station in Jerusalem on Monday. A Border Police officer who arrived at the scene shot the terrorist.

“We arrived at the scene and there was a big commotion,” said Magen David Adom paramedic Shlomi Pinchas. “The two wounded were lying conscious and suffering from stab wounds. We provided them with advanced medical care in the field that included bandages, stopping the bleeding and medication and quickly evacuated them to the hospital as they were in moderate condition.”

The wounded were evacuated to Shaare Zedek Medical Center where doctors said they were conscious and stable.

Israel Police Jerusalem District Commander Doron Turjeman told journalists that the attacker was believed to be a 17-year-old Palestinian male from the Hebron area and that two additional suspects were detained.

“The deployment and fast response together with determination and exercises conducted in Jerusalem every day led to the quick neutralization of the terrorist and the prevention of additional lives being endangered,” said Turjeman. “An excellent response by the officers.”

Turjeman added that there is “no doubt” that there is an escalation taking place, stressing that police are prepared for any situation.

The terrorist was checked by a police sapper and is receiving medical treatment at Shaare Zedek Medical Center. His condition is not stable and after resuscitation attempts he entered surgery, according to the hospital. Palestinian media identified the terrorist as Basil Khaled Shawamreh from the town of Deir al-‘Asal al-Fauqa near Hebron.

Defense Minister Benny Gantz wished the victims a speedy recovery and praised the Border Police officer who shot the terrorist, as well as the IDF soldiers who thwarted a terrorist attack earlier in the day at the Gush Etzion junction.

“The vigilance and rapid and professional action of the forces on the ground prevented a much more severe result,” said Gantz. “We will continue to act resolutely against any attempt to harm Israeli citizens.”

Hamas congratulated the stabbing attack on Monday, saying “The escalation of stabbings in occupied Jerusalem, the shootings, the increasing confrontations of popular anger in the West Bank and the demonstrations in Gaza, come within the framework of the freedom intifada launched by our Palestinian people in solidarity with the heroic prisoners and confronting the brutality of the occupation against them.”

“Sustaining the clash with the Zionist occupation and escalating the pace of operations with various means and tools is the best option to confront the Zionist occupation and force it to stop its crimes against our people and our prisoners in the occupation prisons,” added Hamas.

Palestinian Islamic Jihad spokesman Daoud Shehab responded to the terror attack on Monday afternoon, saying “The commando operations in Jerusalem and the West Bank reflect the extent of the rising popular anger as a result of the aggressive policies of the occupation against the prisoners.”

Shehab warned that Israel would “pay a price for its arrogance,” adding that “acts of resistance are a legitimate right of the Palestinian people, and we bless and support this jihadist act and salute all the revolutionaries in Jerusalem, the West Bank and everywhere, and we affirm that resistance is the most capable approach to deterring the occupation.”

The attack comes just hours after an attempted stabbing attack at the Gush Etzion Junction, in which IDF soldiers stopped a terrorist who attempted to stab them. The terrorist was taken to Shaare Zedek Medical Center with gunshot wounds to his hand.

The attack also comes exactly three years after Ari Fuld was stabbed to death at a supermarket in Gush Etzion.

Source: Jpost