Tuesday, December 01, 2015

01-Dec-15: Arab-on-Israeli knifing attacks continue this morning

In the first of this morning's terror attacks, Gush Etzion Junction where ten (at least) stabbing attacks have been launched against Israeli civilians during the last two months (in particular) was the scene of another this morning. This one was directed at people standing at a hitchhiking stop, according to the IDF quoted by Times of Israel. The attacker was stopped by the gun-fire of soldiers who rushed to the site, and he is now dead. Pathetically he is yet another sixteen year-old with a knife, named as Ma'amoun al-Khatib from Bethlehem, according to a Ynet report. It's fair to assume the martyr posters and candies for the celebratory funeral are being prepared at this moment.

An Israeli civilian of about 35 injured by the IDF gunfire in the assault was taken to Hadassah Ein Kerem hospital in Jerusalem for emergency treatment of wounds to the hand and chest.

The second, around 8:00 am was initially reported as a terror attack in the Beit Yisrael neighbourhood of Jerusalem (there was a victim, he was stabbed) but the police are quoted saying it was actually a criminal attack, unrelated to terror, even though the victim asserted otherwise.

A third, in the northern Jerusalem neighbourhood of Ramot Alef, was reported around 8 as well. Multiple first-responder vehicles were heard, their sirens shrieking, as they converged on the site. Initial reports spoke of an Arab attacker armed with a knife on board an Egged 71 city bus. There are currently no reports of casualties. This suggests the alarms were false, or (which we have seen reported) the attacker fled - indeed it appears someone did jump off the bus before doing harm. More details if we get any. As of now, this is not being treated as a terror attack.

The day is far from over.

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