Palestinian Attacks Continue in Jerusalem, West Bank
An Israel Police officer was stabbed in the neck by a Palestinian assailant at Damascus Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem on Sunday evening. The attacker, a West Bank Palestinian who was in Israel illegally, drew a knife and stabbed the officer after he was taken aside for questioning due to suspicious behavior, according to the Israel Police. The assailant, who was armed with two knives, was shot at the scene by another police officer. He was taken to the hospital in critical condition.
Shortly after the attack in Jerusalem, a Palestinian man carrying a knife was shot dead after he broke into the West Bank settlement of Tekoa. The infiltrator was shot dead by a local security guard as he approached the guard’s home. Hamas later claimed the 17-year-old infiltrator as a member.
Earlier on Sunday, Israeli troops shot and killed a Palestinian man from the West Bank as he attempted to illegally enter Israel through a hole in the security fence.
Despite these incidents, Israel late on Sunday announced that it would end the closure on the West Bank and would allow Palestinian permit holders to again enter Israel. The closure on the Gaza Strip will remain closed except for “humanitarian, medical, and exceptional cases.”