Israeli soldier lightly wounded in Tel Aviv stabbing attack

An Israeli soldier was lightly wounded in a stabbing attack in Tel Aviv on Monday evening, Israeli police said.

A 17-year-old Palestinian from the West Bank stabbed a 19-year-old soldier walking in a street in an eastern neighborhood of Tel Aviv on Monday evening, police spokeswoman Luba Samri said in a statement.

The suspect fled the scene and was arrested shortly after the attack and taken into questioning by the police and the Shin Bet security agency, Samri added.

Police said it is believed to be a nationalistically-motivated attack, and that the investigation is ongoing.

The soldier had sustained light injuries and was evacuated to the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center for treatment, according to Israeli Emergency Services.

A paramedic at the scene told the Ynet news website that the victim was conscious and suffered stab wounds to his upper torso.

The Ha'aretz daily reported the suspect is from the town of Silfit in the central West Bank, who worked at a grocery store nearby the scene of the attack.

This incident is the latest in a wave of violence which started in October and claimed the lives of 28 Israelis, who died in stabbing, car-ramming and shooting attacks, and 204 Palestinians, some killed in clashes with Israeli security forces in protests while others gunned down after attempting to or carrying out attacks.

While Israeli leaders blame the Palestinian Authority for incitement to violence which spurred the wave of unrest, the Palestinians charge it is the result of 49 years of Israeli occupation of the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza Strip territories, in which they wish to establish a Palestinian state. Endit