Four people were injured in a stabbing attack in Tel Aviv on Tuesday, Israeli emergency services announced.
Ichilov Hospital said it was treating three of the victims, one of whom was “in serious condition due to a knife wound to the neck.” Police said the attacker, a 28-year-old foreign national, was shot at the scene.
The Israeli Shin Bet intelligence service said it was conducting an investigation after making a decision to allow the man, who reportedly holds Moroccan citizenship and American permanent residency, to enter the country.
This is the second stabbing in Tel Aviv in four days, after another person was attacked on Saturday before being shot by an armed civilian.
Tuesday's attack occurred on Nahalat Binyamin Street, an area known for its restaurants and nightlife, and on nearby Grozenberg Street, where the attacker stabbed another person and shot him dead.
Israeli media reported that an American residence permit and a border control ticket were found on the attacker's body.
He entered Israel on a tourist visa on January 18.
Israeli Interior Minister Moshe Arbel said that border and immigration forces expressed objections to the man’s entry into Israel while he was at Ben Gurion Airport, but the Shin Bet security service approved his entry.
He added: “I call on Shin Bet head Ronen Bar to investigate the serious incident and draw lessons from it as soon as possible.”
The Shin Bet said in response: “When the person entered Israel, a security assessment was conducted, including interrogation and additional examinations, which concluded that there were no reasons to deny his entry for security reasons. The incident will be investigated.”
Hamas did not claim responsibility, but in a statement it praised the attack.
