Jewish man injured in central Israel mall stabbing attack

A Palestinian stabbed and injured an Israeli Wednesday afternoon at a mall in central Israel, as violence over Jerusalem's flashpoint al-Aqsa compound spilled over to Israel.

A police statement said the incident was a suspected "terrorist attack" and that the attacker was arrested and taken into custody.

The suspect stabbed a 25-year-old Jewish ultra-Orthodox man in his chest, slightly injuring him, Israel's emergency services said.

Israeli media said the suspect is a 30-year-old Palestinian from the West Bank, who arrived at the mall on a bus and stabbed the first person he saw.

The incident occurred amidst a month-long wave of violence between Israelis and Palestinians, with almost daily stabbing attacks against Israelis and ongoing clashes between Palestinian youths and Israeli security forces throughout the West Bank and east Jerusalem.

On Wednesday afternoon, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a security discussion at the command center of the Jersualem District police, along with Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan, Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat, and Police Acting Commissioner Bentzi Sau.

"We are taking strong action against the terrorists, rioters, and inciters," Netanyahu said in a statement. "We have boosted our forces and are using all necessary means and methods in the fight against this terrorism," he said.

On a different note, the coordinator of the Israeli government's activities in the occupied Palestinian territories, Major General Yoav Mordechai, told Palestinian media Wednesday that "Israel is not interested in escalating the security situation," asserting the status quo in Jerusalem's flashpoint holy site will be maintained.

In a bid to ease tensions, police lifted the restrictions that had been placed on entry of Palestinians to the al-Aqsa compound during the recent Jewish holidays.

The move followed a call by the Palestinian President Abbas on Tuesday, who urged calm, saying his people is not interested in further "escalation."

However, on Wednesday violence continued, with dozens of Palestinians injured in clashes with soldiers throughout the West Bank.

In the Old City of East Jerusalem, a Palestinian woman was shot and critically wounded by an Israeli man, after stabbing two Israelis, police said. However, Palestinian media refuted the allegations, saying 18-year-old Shorouq Dweiat did not carry any weapons.

According to news agency WAFA, an Israeli man attempted to remove Dweiat's headscarf, known as Hijab, and pushed her. As she pushed him back, he pulled out his gun and shot her with four bullets in her upper body, the report said.

Later on, a Palestinian youth was shot dead by police after he stabbed an Israeli soldier in the southern city of Kiryat Gat, injuring the soldier lightly and grabbing his personal weapon, the Israeli military said.

The suspect was identified as Amjad al-Jundy from the West Bank city of Hebron, who entered Israel without permits.

Also on Wednesday, Jewish settlers shot and seriously wounded a Palestinian man in the West Bank near the settlement of Tekoa in the area of the Gush Ezion Regional Council, 20 km north of Hebron.

The clashes broke out early last month amid the Jewish holidays over increasing visits by Jews to the al-Aqsa mosque compound. The site, known to Muslims as Haram al-Sharif and to Jews as the Temple Mount, is sacred to both religions.

Israel occupied the West Bank and east Jerusalem in the 1967 Mideast War, and later annexed east Jerusalem and claimed it as part of its capital. Endit