At least four people were stabbed in a terrorist attack Tuesday evening on Nahalat Binyamin Street in Tel Aviv.
Police confirmed it was a terrorist attack after an initial investigation. They added that the attacker stabbed three people on Nahalat Binyamin Street, followed by a fourth person on nearby Gruzenberg Street.
Israeli media reported that a US residence permit and a border control ticket were found on the attacker’s body. They showed that the attacker was a Moroccan citizen with permanent residency in the United States and had entered Israel on a tourist visa on January 18.
Interior Minister Moshe Arbel said border control officers at Ben Gurion Airport refused to let the terrorist in and demanded an investigation into the matter. Shin Bet agents reversed the decision and allowed him to enter Israel, according to Israeli media.
According to Arbel, the officers “transferred him to security officials for questioning, who unfortunately decided to allow him entry into Israel.” The minister called on the head of the Shin Bet (Israeli Security Agency), Ronen Bar, “to investigate this serious incident and learn lessons from it as soon as possible.”
Doctors and paramedics are providing medical treatment to two injured 24-year-olds and a 59-year-old man in mild condition, Magen David Adom said following the incident.
The attacker was shot and killed, and several eyewitnesses reported gunfire in the area.
Attacker neutralized
Police confirmed the attacker was killed. The attacker was reportedly shot dead by civilians.
Tel Aviv District Commander Asst.-Ch. Haïm Sargaroff said that “from his point of view, the incident is over. There have been many (contradictory) reports. I can say that there was one terrorist. There are no others. “.
Commissioner Danny Levy said: “Soldiers reacted quickly and neutralized the terrorist, as is expected of security forces. »
This is a developing story.
Amichai Stein contributed to this report.
