07-Oct-15: Despatches from the fronts

Shuafat, North Jerusalem, Monday October 5: Border Guard
officers taking care of business [Image Source]

It's early Wednesday evening in Jerusalem and the extreme violence is continuing.

• This morning, an Israeli man in his mid-thirties was attacked by a knife-wielding Palestinian Arab female aged about 18-20. This attack, like the murderous assault on a small group of Israeli pedestrians this past Saturday night ["03-Oct-15: Arab violence escalates in Jerusalem: Multiple stabbings in Old City tonight"] was carried out adjacent to Lion's Gate in Jerusalem's Old City. Today's victim suffered stab wounds in his upper body and back - he was stabbed from behind. The attacker's name is given [here] as Shorouq Dwayyat. Like her victim, she is being treated at Hadassah Ein Kerem hospital where she is said to be in critical condition after her victim managed to get off some accurate shots in her direction. The attacker's family are in the news as well, as Times of Israel reports: "The family of the terrorist said that officers stationed outside her hospital room would not allow them to visit the woman, Channel 2 reported. One of the family members was detained by police for questioning. Dwayyat’s mother told the TV station in a later interview that her daughter stabbed the man in self-defense after he attempted to pull off her head covering. It later transpired, however, that Dwayyat had written a Facebook post saying she was “going to become a shahid” - a “martyr.” Lovely people.
• Seven vehicles (at least) were damaged by rocks hurled by Palestinian Arabs this morning on the Jerusalem to Tekoa road near the volatile Arab neighbourhood Beit Sahour. One vehicle, driven by a young Israeli woman, Rivi Ohayon, a resident of Tekoa, came to a stop because of the hail of rocks and was quickly surrounded by a mob that forced the door of the car open. The driver was kicked multiple times and the car’s front windshield was smashed. She was treated by Magen David Adom paramedics and then sent to Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem with light injuries. Times of Israel quotes Josh Hasten, a journalist for the Jerusalem Post, and a resident of Elazar, a nearby community, who said that earlier this morning he had been attacked on the road: “As I slowed down, I saw a mob of 40 to 50 masked Palestinians on the side of the road. They were holding rocks and cinder blocks... As they approached my car, I took out my gun and fired one round in the air. The shot obviously scared them and they ran up the hill away from the road... I have no doubt that I would be dead now if I hadn’t used my gun. They were going to kill me.” There's an audio interview with Josh Hasten here.
• A Palestinian Arab male stabbed and then stole the weapon of an Israeli soldier in the coastal city of Kiryat Gat. Security personnel pursued the assailant to a nearby building - evidently in order to take up a position inside an accessible apartment, which he sought to enter [video] - where they succeeded in mortally shooting him.
• Around 6:30 this evening, a similar attack happened in the central city of Petach Tikva where a Palestinian Arab stabbed several people in a shopping mall. There are multiple casualties and few details. One of the victims, an Israeli male of about 25, is reported to be in moderate condition and stable with knife wounds, and being treated at nearby Beilinson Hospital. The attacker was arrested and in the hands of the police.
• Again, few details at this stage, but it's reported that a 15-year-old Palestinian Arab youth was arrested in Abu Tor, a mixed Jewish/Arab section of Jerusalem, after attempting a knife assault on Israel Police forces around 7:00 pm this evening.
• Times of Israel reports that two people were injured lightly when a Palestinian Arab driver rammed his vehicle into a checkpoint on Jerusalem's eastern side around 8:30 pm Wednesday night. The vehicle's driver was shot by a Border Guard officer and injured at the A-Zaim checkpoint, between Maale Adumim and Jerusalem, According to police, the vehicle driven by a Palestinian Arab was coming from east of Maale Adumim when the driver rammed it into the checkpoint.

In addition, dozens of rock-hurling attacks and firebombings (Molotov cocktail attacks). It's now almost midnight, and the sounds of police sirens are audible from points across the city.