By JPOST.COM STAFFtzah kuratzi 248.88(photo credit: IDF Spokesperson)
A man and a woman were lightly wounded on Thursday afternoon when they were stabbed by a Palestinian at a Kiryat Arba gas station.
According to initial reports, the perpetrator exited a taxi near the gas station, located at the entrance to the Jewish town neighboring Hebron.
Though he was carrying both a knife and an ax, it was the former that he used to carry out his attack.
The man proceeded to lightly wound the man and the woman, aged 52 and 49, before fleeing the scene.
Shortly thereafter, he was shot and seriously wounded by a soldier from the Nachshon Battalion's Kfir Brigade who was passing by.
Large IDF and police forces were called to the scene to investigate what was suspected to be an independent act of terrorism not sanctioned by any one organization.
The women received initial first-aid at the gas station, and were evacuated by a Magen David Adom ambulance to Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Jerusalem for further treatment, along with the terrorist.
MK Uri Ariel (National Union) linked the terror attack to Israeli gestures and what he saw as lenience to the Palestinians.
"The government's total capitulation to the Palestinians, in negotiations over Gilad Schalit, opening transportation routes and suffocating construction in Judea and Samaria, is beginning to show," Ariel said in an announcement.
"If this trend is to continue, we will be facing more such attacks. [Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu] should quickly recuperate and ensure constant pressure on the Palestinians, not his own people," Ariel added.
Another National Union MK, Michael Ben-Ari, remarked that the attack was the Palestinians' "payback" for the prime minister's recent settlement freeze offer.
A spokesman for the Jewish settlement in Hebron said the attack proved a moratorium on construction and expansion would "only lead to more terror and bloodshed."
"It should be remembered that hundreds of convicted terrorist murderers, including Marwan Barghouti, are scheduled to be released in return for Gilad Shalit should the deal be finalized," noted the spokesman.
Also responding to the attack was Oded Ravivi, head of the Efrat local council.
"This is foreseeable terror," he said in a statement. "Every time the Israeli government shows weakness, the Arabs [sic] increase their violence. The government of Israel should freeze the [settlement building] freeze, and set a price tag of a thousand housing units for every terror attack."
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