Police searching crime scene
Photo: Ido Erez
Police say Netanya stabbing attempted terror attack
After hours of investigating Wednesday's stabbing in Netanya's old industrial zone, police say attack was likely nationalistically motivated. Three Palestinians arrested, transferred to Shin Bet
Hours after three Palestinians were arrested on suspicion of stabbing a 39-year-old man in Netanya, police sources told Ynet the incident was an attempted terror attack, which luckily only ended with light injuries. At the end of their interrogation, the suspects were transferred to the Shin Bet.
The victim, a resident of the Avnei Hefetz settlement in the West Bank, was making his way to work in Netanya's old industrial zone Wednesday morning, when he was stormed by one of the suspects.
The assailant pushed the man and proceeded to stab him in his abdomen and hands, while shouting 'Allahu Akbar". The perpetrator then managed to flee the scene.
The victim did not report the incident, but alerted his employer to the scene. He was evacuated to Laniado Hospital, where a medical team notified police of the incident's details.
Victim reconstructing attack (Photo: Ido Erez)
Suspicion that the incident was carried out for nationalistic reasons arose in the initial stages of the investigation, partly due to the fact that the victim has no criminal past.
Police sources combed the area for the suspects, with the help of a helicopter. Since the incident occurred in an area where many educational institutions and kindergartens are located, the educators were instructed to keep the children indoors and keep a close watch on them until the suspects were located.
After receiving medical treatment at the hospital, the injured man was brought back to the scene of the crime, where he reconstructed the incident before police officers and the Shin Bet.
Police said the victim was a normative civilian with no criminal record, and that his version of events was credible, meaning all signs point to a nationalistically motivated attack.
Police heightened their alert level in the aftermath of Monday's lethal raid on the Gaza aid flotilla.
Commissioner Dudi Cohen said, "The most important thing is to refrain from any inflammatory comments that may escalate the situation."
