A 24-year-old Border Police officer was moderately wounded Sunday evening after he was stabbed by a knife-wielding Palestinian at the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City.
Other Border Police cops stationed nearby opened fire at the attacker and neutralized him.
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Police forces at the scene of the attack at the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City
(Photo: AFP)
First responders treated the wounded officer on the spot and transferred him to the capital's Hadassah Medical Center in full consciousness
Volunteer EMT Yechiel Stern of the United Hatzalah ambulance service, who was one of the first responders at the scene, said "together with United Hatzalah volunteer Dr. Aryeh Jaffe, I treated one young man for stab wounds at the scene. He was then transported to Hadassah Har Hatzofim hospital in moderate condition."
About an hour later, a knife-wielding Palestinian was shot and killed after he infiltrated the West Bank settlement of Tekoa in the Gush Etzion Regional Council.
Large military forces were scanning the area for three other suspects who remain at large.
Meanwhile, A Palestinian who tried to cross into Israel from the West Bank near the Palestinian city of Tulkarm was shot dead by an Israeli force that was stationed nearby.
The man was identified as 27-year-old Mahmoud Aram, a native of Khan Younes in the Gaza Strip who has been staying in the West Bank since 2019 for medical reasons and working in Israel illegally. He was unarmed at the time of his death.
He was taken by helicopter to Sheba Medical Center near Tel Aviv where he died of his wounds.
Earlier on Sunday, Israeli security forces captured the two terrorists who carried out the deadly attack in the predominantly Haredi town of Elad last week.
As’ad Alrafa’ani (19) and Sabhi Abu Shakir (20), both from Rumaneh near the city of Jenin, stabbed three people to death with an axe and a knife on Thursday evening before fleeing the scene and prompting a massive manhunt.
The two were apprehended on Sunday morning hiding behind a bush in a quarry near Elad, having not eaten or drunk any water for over 60 hours with the axe used in the attack lying meters away.
The two were caught by special forces and commando units using helicopters and other means.
Some 800 troops, including commando and counterterrorism forces, took part in the manhunt after the attackers, who were finally captured Sunday morning in a forested area near the ultra-Orthodox town.
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IDF soldiers en route to Elad attackers' homes, in Rumaneh, West Bank
(Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
On Saturday, the forces found a suspicious trail of blood during the search, as well as banknotes they suspected were left behind by the terrorists. The blood samples were taken for DNA testing that confirmed that the terrorists had passed or were hiding in the area.
An officer in the Maglan commando unit said that forces have canvassed the area several times before the suspects were finally spotted.
"Suddenly, I noticed this morning that the brush was 'breathing' and realized there was something unusual here. I signaled to the rest of the force, and we caught them by surprise," he said. "They were in total shock. At first, they did not talk at all. They had spare clothes and a sweater on them, but no water or food.
First published: 21:02, 05.08.22