Tuesday, March 07, 2017

07-Mar-17: Arab-on-Israeli stabbing at Jerusalem's main southern entry point today

We're hearing reports of an Arab-on-Israeli stabbing near the Tunnel Road security checkpoint around 11:15 this morning (Tuesday).

Israel National News says the victim is a man in his 40s, evidently an Israeli, and the alleged attacker is "reportedly an Arab resident of the Palestinian Authority". Police are still investigating what happened at this hour.

The victim of the attack is conscious with injuries "across his upper torso" that are said to be "light". He was taken by ambulance to Shaarei Zedek Medical Center hospital for treatment.

A report with an accompanying photo on the Hebrew-language Rotter.net news site [see image at right] suggests the victim is a Haredi Orthodox Jew.

The Tunnel Road is part of a major north-south Israel highway, Route 60. At the point where the attack evidently occurred, it principally serves traffic passing between Jerusalem and the Gush Etzion communities south of the capital.

UPDATE March 7, 2017 at 4:30 pm: Israel National News now explains what happened:
"According to a police investigation into the attack, the victim had taken his car to a mechanic in the Arab village of al-Walaja just south of Jerusalem. After work on the car was completed, the driver left the village. On his way out, he spotted an Arab hitchhiker waiting by the exit of the village for a ride. The victim offered him a ride, which the hitchhiker accepted. During the drive on Route 60, the Arab hitchhiker stabbed the driver, then fled the vehicle."
We're presuming there's a search underway for the hitch-hiker. And that the now-much-wiser Israeli driver is offering special prayers for having survived the stabbing attack.

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