Italian tourist stabbed to death in Jerusalem

Terror attack in Jerusalem: A tourist was stabbed to death Thursday evening by Herod's Gate in the Old City of Jerusalem. The perpetrator, who was described as having an Arab countenance, escaped the scene. Police were searching the area and said the attack was nationalistically motivated.

The tourist was later identified as a 24 year-old Italian citizen who had come to Israel for a visit at the beginning of August. The Italian consulate was notified.

At 8:30 p.m., the foreign tourist was attacked. The stabber fled the scene, and police and Magen David Adom teams arrived. Jerusalem Police opened an investigation into the incident, and initial findings revealed that a small group of three to four tourists from Europe, all in their 20s, were walking down Sultan Suleiman Road by Herod's Gate in the Old City when they were assaulted.

An Arab youth jumped out from behind them, stabbed one of them in the back with a knife, and fled, leaving the weapon at the scene. The tourist was severely wounded and died of his injuries shortly afterwards. Jerusalem Police launched searches after the attacker. It was unclear whether he was a resident of East Jerusalem or a Palestinian.

Roughly three weeks ago, an East Jerusalem resident stabbed a Yeshiva student on Haneviim Street in Jerusalem and moderately wounded him. Days later, the stabber was nabbed and claimed the war in Lebanon motivated the attack.

The Shin Bet, IDF and Police have thwarted eight Palestinian attempts to carry out suicide bombing attacks and kidnappings within Israel in the past month. Altogether 396 terror activists were arrested, among them 12 would-be suicide bombers.

The foiled bombings planned to target Bnei Brak, Rehovot, Alon Moreh, and Oranit. A planned kidnapped was thwarted in Tel Aviv.

While Israeli forces are fighting Hizbullah in south Lebanon, security forces have been investing intense efforts to prevent Palestinian terror groups from carrying out attacks.