Car Ramming and Stabbing Attack in Tel Aviv Injures 8; Hamas Claims Responsibility

Eight people were wounded in Tel Aviv on Tuesday when a motorist drove into pedestrians near a shopping center and subsequently attacked civilians with a knife, according to Israeli officials.

The attack comes amid a second day of fighting in the West Bank town of Jenin, located 38 miles to the northeast. In Jenin’s refugee camp, hundreds of Israeli soldiers, backed by drones and armored vehicles, have been battling armed Palestinians and combing the area for weapons.

Israeli forces have killed 10 Palestinians, ages 16 to 23, in the Jenin fighting and wounded dozens, including civilians.

Hamas claimed responsibility for the Tel Aviv assault, stating it was a reaction to Israel’s military operations in Jenin. An armed civilian at the scene killed the attacker, who police labeled a “terrorist.”

Israeli security officials identified the assailant as Abed al-Wahab Khalila, aged 20, from the southern West Bank town of as-Samu, 9 miles south of Hebron.

One of the victims, a 46-year-old woman, is reportedly in serious condition.

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad praised the attack but did not claim responsibility, asserting it was a “response of the resistance to what is happening in Jenin.”

This year has seen a dramatic uptick in violence, mainly in the northern West Bank. Palestinian attackers have killed 25 Israelis since the start of the year, while Israelis have killed roughly 185 Palestinians.