An Israeli man was moderately wounded Friday after being stabbed in the northern city of Haifa in what appears to be a terror attack.
According to the police, a 15-year-old girl, resident of the city, was arrested in connection with the attack, which comes amid heightened security tensions exacerbated by the holy month of Ramadan, which have in recent days resulted in clashes at the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex.
The 47-year-old man was evacuated to Rambam Health Care Campus in the city, commonly called Rambam Hospital.
"The wounded man was lying in the garden fully conscious and suffering from a penetrating and bleeding injury," said one of the Magen David Adom paramedics, who was called to the scene after the attack.
"We provided him with primary medical care that included stopping the bleeding and bandages. We then evacuated him in stable condition to an intensive care unit for further treatment at [Rambam Hospital]."
The police later said the father of the 15-year-old assailant called the police to report that his daughter was planning to carry out an attack in Jerusalem. While the cops were on their way to uncover more information from the father, they received the news about the stabbing in Haifa.
The stabbing and the clashes on the Temple Mount took place hours before Israelis around the country were to celebrate Passover, during which more than 4,000 police vehicles and about 8,000 officers, Border Police fighter, and IDF soldier will be deployed across the country - mainly due to fears of additional terror attacks both inside Israel and in the West Bank.
Security forces will also work to stop the entry illegal Palestinian immigrants via gaps in the perimeter fence, in part with the aid of the Shin Bet domestic security agency and its intelligence gathering capabilities.
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Security forces clashing with Palestinian rioters on the Temple Mount, April 15
(Photo: Reuters)
The IDF also announced that a closure would be imposed on the West Bank during Passover. The closure is expected to come into affect Friday at 4pm, and last until midnight between Saturday and Sunday.
Another situation assessment will be held Saturday, during which the military will decide whether to extend the closure further. In addition to the closure, the IDF announced that all crossings to and from the Gaza Strip will shutter during the holiday.