A stabbing that took place in the central Israeli city of Rosh Ha’ayin earlier this month has been declared a terrorist attack, and a Palestinian from Jenin has been arrested in connection with the incident, Israeli security forces announced on Tuesday.
On Aug. 15, police in Rosh Ha’ayin received reports that a man had been stabbed on Hanevi’im Street (“Street of the Prophets”) in the city.
A man in his 30s from southern Israel had arrived at his new apartment in the city, which is located in a new building that is still untenanted. While there, he encountered the suspect, who proceeded to stab him several times before fleeing. The victim, wounded, managed to leave the building and collapsed in the entryway.
It is believed that he was lying on the floor for a considerable time before a passerby spotted him and called an ambulance.
Before being evacuated to Beilinson Hospital in Petach Tikvah, the man told police he had been stabbed by an Arab. When he arrived at the hospital, he was in serious condition. After several days in the hospital, he was released to continue his recovery at home.
Five days after the stabbing, a joint investigation by the Israel Police and the Shin Bet security agency led to the arrest of the suspect. An interrogation led security personnel to believe that the stabbing was an ethno-religious attack.
Security forces arrested three additional men they suspected of aiding and abetting the fugitive.
This article first appeared in Israel Hayom.