2 Injured, 1 Seriously, in Palestinian Terror Attack at Jerusalem Area Hotel

Latest Developments

Stabbing Attack Near Jerusalem: Two people were wounded, one seriously, when a Palestinian terrorist carried out a stabbing attack at a hotel in Kibbutz Tzuba near Jerusalem, on September 12. The attacker, from Shu’afat in eastern Jerusalem, was a hotel employee with a history of security-related offenses, according to Israeli police statements. Three other individuals were arrested under suspicion of having been involved in the stabbing, during which the assailant reportedly picked up a kitchen knife and shouted “Allahu Akbar” (God is greatest).

Hamas Praises ‘Heroic’ Attack: Hamas praised the attack, calling it a “heroic stabbing,” which dealt “a new blow to the occupation’s security apparatus.” The terrorist organization did not claim responsibility for the attack, consistent with its strategy of supporting “lone-wolf” or small-cell violence in the West Bank and Jerusalem while formally distancing itself from operational accountability. Later the same day, Israeli border police forces raided the home of the suspect in Shu’afat, during which two people were wounded in clashes with Israeli troops.

Jerusalem Terrorism Uptick: The stabbing at Kibbutz Tzuba occurred four days after two Palestinian terrorists opened fire on a bus stop at Jerusalem’s Ramot junction, killing six people and wounding more than a dozen others. According to Israeli officials, the attackers were Palestinians with no prior security records from the villages of al-Qubeiba and Qatanna on the outskirts of the West Bank city of Ramallah. Police later arrested a resident of eastern Jerusalem for illegally smuggling the two men into the city.

FDD Expert Response

“This week’s terror attacks in Jerusalem are almost certain to have elicited concern from Israel’s domestic security services. With the war in Gaza still raging, and Hamas deliberately fanning the flames through calls for violence, the conditions for further attacks inside Israel are dangerously ripe. The central challenge for Israeli authorities is not simply responding to individual incidents but rather preventing them from cascading into a broader wave of violence reminiscent of past cycles of terrorism against civilians.” — Joe Truzman, Senior Research Analyst and Editor at FDD’s Long War Journal

“The stabbing at a hotel near Jerusalem confirms the suspicions of many Israelis that seemingly innocuous interactions with Palestinians could turn deadly. In its effort to prevent this from happening again, Israel may impose measures that will inadvertently harm Palestinians just trying to earn a living in the Jewish state. Ultimately, this serves as a reminder that many of the restrictions and difficulties that Palestinians face are direct consequences of Palestinian terrorism.” — David May, Research Manager and Senior Research Analyst