Two Israeli police officers – a man and a woman – became the latest victims of the escalating acts of violence by Palestinians on Monday morning.
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Police spokeswoman Luba Samri said a female police officer was stabbed in the neck and badly wounded while a male officer was moderately injured. Both were stabbed repeatedly in the back.
“The second terrorist. brought to Shaare Zedek hospital in critical condition. has died of his injuries”, the statement said.
A few hours later a seventh attack was reported in Hebron in the southern West Bank, where two Palestinians were reported shot – one fatally – after allegedly attempting to stab an Israeli soldier close to a key religious site.
Four Palestinians, one of whom held Jordanian citizenship, were shot dead over the weekend during assaults on Israelis, according to Israeli authorities.
When the border police began approaching, one of the suspects pulled a knife and attempted to stab the officers, who in response shot at him while calling on the second suspect to move aside so he would not be hit.
The increase in violence caused the Israeli military to send troop reinforcements to the West Bank.
Israeli policemen detain an Arab Israeli as clashes with police erupted during a demonstration held by Israeli right-wing protesters (L) near the family home of Nashat Melhem, an Arab Israeli who killed three people in a January 1 shooting attack, in the northern Arab Israeli village of Arara September 19, 2016.
Since October, 228 Palestinians, 34 Israelis, two Americans, one Jordanian, one Eritrean, and a Sudanese have been killed in ongoing violence, according to a count by the AFP news agency.
Palestinian street attacks that began almost a year ago had largely waned in recent months, but a series of assaults since Friday have raised alarm in Israel of a new wave of bloodshed in the run-up to the Jewish New Year holiday next month.
Palestinians have accused Israel of using excessive force and say that some of those killed posed no threat or had no intention of attacking anyone.
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Israeli forces say most of the Palestinians killed were carrying out knife, gun or car-ramming attacks.
