JERUSALEM (JTA) — At least three Israelis have been killed and more than 20 wounded in a rash of terrorist attacks throughout the country.
In the wake of two of the attacks on Tuesday morning in Jerusalem, roads into eastern Jerusalem were closed.
Three people were killed in two simultaneous attacks in the East Talpiot neighborhood of eastern Jerusalem and in the Geula neighborhood in the central part of the city.
Two men, identified by police as Palestinians from the Jabel Mukaber neighborhood of eastern Jerusalem, attacked passengers on an Egged bus in East Talpiot, killing a man in his 60s. One assailant carried a gun and the other a knife. A second man, 45, later died at Shaare Zedek hospital. At least 10 other people injured by gunshots and stabbing wounds were treated at area hospitals. One of the attackers was killed and the other wounded during the attack. According to reports, the assailants first attempted to commandeer the bus before attacking passengers.
In the haredi Orthodox Geula neighborhood, police said an attacker drove a car into a bus stop, killing one and seriously injuring another, before exiting the car and stabbing pedestrians. A security guard shot and seriously wounded the attacker, who was identified as a resident of eastern Jerusalem with Israeli citizenship. An employee of the Bezeq phone company, the assailant used a company car in the attack, Ynet reported.
Two attacks on Tuesday morning took place in the central Israeli city of Raanana, located about 10 miles from Tel Aviv and home to many immigrants from English-speaking countries.
An eastern Jerusalem resident employed by a local rehabilitation center stabbed pedestrians at a bus stop on Ahuza Street, the city’s main thoroughfare. He was subdued by civilians, according to police.
Another resident of eastern Jerusalem, reported to be a municipal worker, was captured and subdued by passers-by after stabbing pedestrians near Raanana City Hall, police said.
Early Tuesday afternoon, police said a Jewish-Israeli stabbed a fellow Jewish-Israeli near Haifa after mistaking him for a Palestinian. The attack took place near an IKEA store in Kiryat Ata, located in northern Israel.
Also Tuesday, hundreds of Gaza Palestinians rioted close to the Erez Crossing near the security fence with Israel, throwing rocks and firebombs, according to police. The border with Gaza was closed.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called an emergency meeting of the Security Cabinet late Tuesday morning to assess the security situation.
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