Knife attack in Tel Aviv injures four

Four people were injured in a knife attack in Tel Aviv on Tuesday, Israeli emergency services said.

The hospital in Ihilov announced that they are treating three of the victims, including one in “serious condition with a knife wound in the neck”. The attacker, a 28-year-old foreign citizen, was shot on the spot, the police said.

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

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

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 an American residence permit and a border control ticket were found in the attacker’s body.

He entered Israel on a tourist visa on January 18.

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

“I call on Shin Bet chief Ronen Barr to investigate the serious incident and learn from it as soon as possible,” he added.

The Shin Bet said in response: “A security assessment, including questioning and further checks, was carried out upon the individual’s entry into Israel, which concluded that there were no grounds to deny his entry for security reasons. The incident will be investigated.”

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