Jerusalem: Palestinian youths stab Israeli train guard

The 12-year-old was shot and injured, and the other caught unharmed. Two other stabbing attempts were thwarted in and near the city, police said.

The pair are among the youngest alleged assailants in more than a month of near-daily stabbings of Israelis by Palestinians.

Ten Israelis and dozens of Palestinians have been killed in the recent unrest.

Many of the Palestinian fatalities were attackers, shot by their victims or security forces.

The surge in violence began in September when tensions at a flashpoint holy site in Jerusalem revered by Jews and Muslims boiled over amid rumours that Israel planned to relax long-standing rules to strengthen Jewish rights at the complex. Israel has repeatedly denied such claims.

Israeli police said the 12- and 13-year-old boys stabbed and moderately wounded the guard on a light rail train in the settlement of Pisgat Zeev.

The guard shot the younger boy, and the 13-year-old was held by passengers until police arrived and arrested the suspects.

Shortly afterwards, a 37-year-old Palestinian was shot dead after trying to stab two guards outside the Damascus Gate entrance to Jerusalem's walled Old City, according to police.

In the nearby suburb of Abu Dis, another Palestinian was shot dead after trying to stab security forces at a checkpoint, police said.

 

(BBC)