A Palestinian man stabbed and critically wounded yesterday an Israeli security guard at the entrance to the city’s central bus station. The Palestinian attacker was identified by police as a 24-year-old resident of the West Bank who entered Israel illegally. Police Spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said an investigation was launched into the incident, and police forces will continue operations on a heightened level of alert in an effort to thwart any further terror attacks.
The attack came during a Palestinians’ “weekend of rage,” which was declared by the Palestinian leadership in response to US President Donald Trump’s announcement recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. That said, contrary to initial concerns, Israeli Defense officials told TV7 that the riots that took place in East Jerusalem, the West Bank and the on the border of the Gaza Strip were relatively restrained and did not spiral out of control. The officials noted that while Friday and Saturday large scale riots broke, yesterday and today the number of Palestinian rioters that were recorded ‘declined significantly.’