Police arrest suspect in Jerusalem stabbing attack

The attack was the second of its kind near Damascus gate in two months.

By BEN HARTMAN
Israel Police logo (photo credit: Courtesy)
Israel Police logo
(photo credit: Courtesy)
Jerusalem Police arrested on Friday a 15-year-old Palestinian from north Jerusalem on suspicion of stabbing a Jewish man with a screwdriver near the Damascus Gate Thursday night.
Jerusalem Police said the teen was arrested after police and Border Patrol officers shut off the Old City and spent hours searching for the suspect.
They said they eventually found the teen after checking surveillance camera footage from across the Old City until they found a suspect who matched the teen's description and arrested him on HaGuy street in the Old City.
The attack was the second of its kind near Damascus gate in two months.
According to Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld, the unprovoked assault took place at 7:30 p.m. when the suspect stabbed the Jewish man with the screwdriver from behind before fleeing the scene.
Rosenfeld said the victim was promptly treated by Magen David Adom paramedics and rushed to Shaare Zedic Medical Center in Jerusalem in moderate condition.
“We are looking into this as a terrorist attack and Border Police and regular patrol units are in the area searching for the suspect,” he said 15 minutes after the attack.
On November 16, a 32-year-old Jewish man was also stabbed in the back with a screwdriver near Damascus gate, allegedly by an Arab suspect.
Following the November attack, Hamas praised the stabbing, calling it “a natural response to the crimes of the occupation,” according to Palestinian news site Al-Resalah.