Israeli military to deploy troops to assist police in cities

World Today

PALESTINIAN-ISRAEL-CONFLICT-JERUSALEM-ATTACKIsraeli border police check Palestinian men at the Damascus Gate at the entrance of the Old City in east Jerusalem on October 14, 2015. Israeli police said a “terrorist” attempted to stab a security guard at an entrance to Jerusalem’s Old City but was shot before harming anyone, the latest in a wave of such incidents. AFP PHOTO / MENAHEM KAHANA

Israeli police say they foiled a stabbing attack in Jerusalem, killing the assailant as he attempted to stab security forces.

Police spokeswoman Luba Samri says no Israelis were wounded in the attempted attack Wednesday, which took place outside Jerusalem’s Old City. Police did not immediately provide details of the alleged attacker’s identity.

Israel’s military says it is beginning to deploy hundreds of troops to assist police forces in Israeli cities.

Wednesday’s move is the first implementation of measures decided upon by Israel’s security cabinet to combat a rash of Palestinian shooting and stabbing attacks against Israeli civilians and soldiers.

The cabinet met late into the night and released details of the new measures early Wednesday morning. Steps approved include allowing police to impose a closure on points of friction or incitement according to security assessments. Many of the recent attackers have come from Arab areas of Jerusalem.

Mideast Israel Palestinians

In this image made from video of a security camera provided by the Israel police, a man (center in bluish shirt) attacks a person after the man rammed his vehicle into a bus stop, in the background, while a civilian security guard with a gun in his hands closes in to the attacker in Jerusalem on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2015. The attacker, who worked for Israel’s largest telecommunications group Bezeq and used his company car in the attack, was shot by the security guard and later died of his wounds, police said. (Israel police via AP)

The announcement came after a particularly bloody day in which a pair of Palestinian stabbing and shooting attacks in Jerusalem killed three Israelis. Three Palestinians, including two attackers, were also killed.

Eight Israelis and 29 Palestinians have died in a month of Israeli-Palestinian unrest.

Wednesday’s incident brings the Palestinian death toll since the start of the current wave of violence to 30, among them 13 identified by Israel as attackers with the others killed in clashes. Eight Israelis have been killed in attacks by Palestinians.

Story by The Associated Press.