Gan Yavne stabbing: Three in ‘serious condition’ after shopping mall attack | World | News
Three people were left seriously injured following a stabbing attack on March 31 near a shopping centre in the town of Gan Yavne, southern Israel.
The incident has been described as a suspected terror attack by the Times of Israel news outlet, and the head of the local council called the attacker a “terrorist”.
Following the assault, a person suspected to have carried out the stabbing was “neutralised” by local police. Authorities described him as a 19-year-old resident of Dura, in the West Bank, Israeli publication Haaretz reported.
The Israeli police said in a statement: “Police forces were called to the Friendly Gan Yavne Shopping Mall following a report of a suspected attack.
“From an initial report, there are several victims with stab wounds at the scene.”
The attacker reportedly stabbed his victims at a cafe near the mall before being shot by police.
The head of the Gan Yavne Council, Aharon Dror, also spoke of multiple people being injured on the scene.
His statement also read: “The terrorist was neutralised by our municipal police in Gan Yavne, an inspector and a policeman who arrived at the scene and handled the incident.
“The security forces and the Israel Police, along with our security division and the local security squad, are conducting patrols throughout the area.”
Paramedics provided initial support to the victims at the scene, before taking them to Assuta Hospital in Ashdod, the Magen David Adom ambulance service said.
The emergency services added that the wounded are a 25-year-old man, a 20-year-old man, and a 17-year-old teenager.
The incident happened just hours after two people including a 20-year-old IDF officer were lightly wounded following a different stabbing attack at a central bus station in the Israeli city of Be’er Sheva.
That stabbing was reportedly carried out by a 28-year-old resident of Rahat, an Arab Bedouin city in the Southern District of Israel, who was shot at the scene and later pronounced dead at Soroka Medical Center.
These episodes of violence happened as the war in Gaza continues. While Israeli operations at Al-Shifa Hospital have entered their second week and Palestinians across the enclave are feared to be facing catastrophic levels of hunger, Egyptian media reported truce talks between Hamas and Tel Aviv have resumed in Cairo.