A West Bank Palestinian guarding a Tel Aviv construction site was stabbed and severely wounded early Wednesday morning by unknown assailants, who stole his pistol and escaped.
Abdul Hakim Daoud, 27, of Kalkilya underwent surgery for multiple deep knife wounds at Tel Hashomer Hospital. He was reported in serious but stable condition.
The incident occurred before dawn in the city’s Yad Eliahu neighborhood. Police combed the area and detained several Arabs employed at nearby construction sites.
They believe Daoud was attacked by Arabs. But they are not certain whether it was a politically motivated crime against a presumed Israel collaborator or a criminal act to steal the gun he was licensed to carry.
The passing taxi driver who brought him to the hospital told police the victim seemed to be quarreling with two men before he fell to the ground with knife wounds.
Daoud, regarded by his employers as a trustworthy Palestinian, has worked for some years at a private security company. He was permitted to carry firearms on and off duty.
The stabbing was the second major incident of Palestinian violence this week. On Tuesday, a Druse building contractor named Jamal Hasoon was shot to death when he stopped to pick up workers in the West Bank village of Zabuba.
Shortly after midnight Tuesday, the Israel Defense Force had to intervene to prevent scores of angry Druse from Hasoon’s home village of Daliat al-Carmel from carrying out a violent retaliatory attack on Palestinian residents of Zabuba. Army officers persuaded the Druse to return to their cars and go home.
Hasoon, 32, was buried Wednesday in a massive funeral in his home village. Cabinet Minister Rehavam Ze’evi of the far-right Moledet party attended as a representative of the government. Ze’evi promised the mourners that Hasoon’s murderers would be found.
Security forces meanwhile continued a massive hunt for two suspects in the shooting, both believed to be 17-year-old youths.
(JTA correspondent Gil Sedan in Jerusalem contributed to this report.)
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