A Palestinian man from Judea and Samaria will be formally charged for an attempted stabbing on March 12 in the Israeli coastal city of Netanya, police announced on Tuesday.
According to police, the 20-year-old suspect tried to stab a woman with a knife in front of her children while she was walking in a pedestrian area near Kikar Haatzmaut (Independence Square), the city’s central square.
The suspect was arrested the same day, and was found to be in possession of a pocket knife. Subsequent investigation by the Netanya special crime-fighting unit determined that he had used the knife in the earlier attack, which was captured on closed-circuit television, attempting to stab the woman in the shoulder. She was unharmed as her coat prevented the blade from reaching flesh, leaving only a slight tear in the jacket.
The suspect, who did not have a permit to cross over the Green Line, is believed to have acted alone, and his custody was extended for the investigation. On Tuesday, the suspect was scheduled for a hearing in a military court to further extend his pre-trial detention.
An indictment on terrorism charges is expected in the coming days.
Israeli security forces in January arrested two Palestinians in Netanya on suspicion of planning a terrorist attack.
The suspects, who were in Israel illegally, were taken into custody following a manhunt near the city’s main market, according to police.
