At least five people were injured Tuesday evening in a stabbing attack on Nahalat Binyamin Street in central Tel Aviv, one seriously, one moderately and three lightly. According to Magen David Adom emergency service, two young men in their 20s were moderately injured and a man in his 50s was lightly injured. They were evacuated to Ichilov Hospital, which reported that the condition of one of the injured, who was injured in the neck, is moderate to serious.
Terror attack in central Tel Aviv
(Video: Lior Ohana)
The Tel Aviv police commissioner later arrived at the scene of the attack and announced that there was only one attacker and that the incident is over.
The attacker has been identified as Kaddi Abdelaziz, a permanent resident of the U.S. originally from Morocco, who arrived in Israel three days ago.
Panic during the terror attack in central Tel Aviv
(Video: Uri Sela)
Interior Minister Moshe Arbel noted that border control officers from the Population and Immigration Authority identified Abdelaziz as a threat in real time and sought to prevent him from entering Israel. He was transferred to Shin Bet security officials for further questioning, who ultimately allowed him to enter Israel. "I commend and appreciate the border control officers of the Population and Immigration Authority who identified in real time and sought to prevent the entry into Israel of the terrorist from the attack in Tel Aviv upon his arrival at Ben Gurion Airport on 18.1.25 and transferred him for questioning to security officials who unfortunately decided to allow his entry into Israel," Arbel said.
People flee the scene during attack
The stabbings occurred while the street was bustling with life, as it is every evening. People who heard the gunshots fired at the stabber panicked, entered restaurants and hid under tables.
Passersby who witnessed the stabbings, who are IDF soldiers from an elite unit, neutralized the terrorist. "We came down from the house, and saw the terrorist knocking a civilian to the floor. We shouted at him to stop and shot him when he refused. We fired four bullets in total," they said. According to an eyewitness, "the terrorist got off the scooter and the driver continued driving."
Aviyah, who works at a bar near the scene of the attack, said: "We didn't hear anything outside, and then we saw a lot of people running and people with guns drawn. We closed the bar with everyone inside and now we're waiting to figure out what's happening."
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Another eyewitness, Dor, said: "He ran from the direction of Sofer Yehuda with a knife. He stabbed one person and immediately after a few moments they shot him."
On Saturday, a 28-year-old man was seriously injured in a stabbing attack at the intersection of Levontin and Mikveh Yisrael streets in Tel Aviv. He was taken to Ichilov Hospital in the city, where he underwent surgery and his condition stabilized. The terrorist, an illegal resident from Tulkarm, was eliminated at the scene. Police received reports of a suspect who attempted to stab passersby. An armed citizen who was at the scene neutralized him.