Four people injured in stabbing in Tel Aviv

Israel’s emergency services said four people were wounded in a knife attack in Tel Aviv on Tuesday.

Ichilov Hospital said it was treating three victims, one of whom was in “critical condition due to a knife wound to the neck”. Police said the attacker, a 28-year-old foreign national, was shot dead at the scene.

Israel’s intelligence agency Shin Bet said it was investigating following the decision to allow the man, who reportedly had Moroccan citizenship and US permanent residency, to enter the country.

It is the second stabbing in Tel Aviv in four days, after another man was attacked on Saturday by an armed civilian before being shot.

Tuesday’s attack took place on Nahalat Binyamin Street, an area popular for its restaurants and nightlife, and on nearby Gruzenberg Street, where the attacker stabbed another man and was shot dead.

Israeli media reported that a US residency permit and border control stamp were found on the attacker’s body.

He entered Israel on January 18 on a tourist visa.

Israeli Interior Minister Moshe Arbel said that border and immigration forces had objected to the man’s entry into Israel while he was at Ben Gurion Airport, but the Shin Bet security service approved his entry.

“I urge Shin Bet head Ronen Bar to investigate this serious incident and learn from it as soon as possible,” he said.

Shin Bet said in response: “Upon the individual’s entry into Israel, a security assessment was conducted, which included questioning and additional investigation, concluding that there were no grounds to deny him entry for security reasons. “An investigation will be conducted.”

Hamas did not claim responsibility but praised the attack in a statement.