The escalation in Palestinian terrorism that started over a year ago shows no signs of abating, data from Rescuers Without Borders (Hatzalah Judea and Samaria) published on Tuesday indicates.
In the first six months of 2023, the emergency service recorded 3,640 acts of terror throughout Israel, including 2,118 cases of rock-throwing, 799 attacks with Molotov cocktails, 18 attempted stabbings and six car-rammings.
The number of shootings has already surpassed last year’s total, with 101 instances of gunfire directed at Israelis reported. Hatzalah’s figures do not include the hundreds of attacks on security personnel during counterterrorism operations in Palestinian villages.
Palestinian terrorists have killed 28 people and wounded 362 others since January, the organization said.
In addition, two Israelis died from wounded sustained in previous years. Shimon Maatuf died in February after suffering severe head wounds in an attack by two Palestinians armed with axes in 2022, and New York-born Chana Nachenberg died last month after a Palestinian suicide bombing put her in a coma 22 years ago.
Rescuers Without Borders was established in 2000, at the beginning of the Second Intifada, with the goal of establishing a civilian emergency response infrastructure in Judea and Samaria. Eventually, the organization expanded the scope of its work to include all of Israel.
Hatzalah released its biannual report on terrorism amid yet another uptick in Arab attacks throughout Jerusalem, Judea and Samaria.
Earlier on Tuesday, security forces thwarted a possible terrorist attack at the Shuafat checkpoint in northeastern Jerusalem, arresting a 14-year-old Palestinian suspect who behaved suspiciously. Officers found a knife in his possession.
On Monday, Palestinian terrorists threw rocks at vehicles in northern Samaria, wounding at least four Israeli civilians, including a woman in an advanced stage of pregnancy. At least three cars were targeted in the attack, which took place on Route 55 near Ma’ale Shomron, medical officials said.
A day earlier, an Israeli man was shot and seriously wounded, and his two daughters lightly injured, in a Palestinian drive-by shooting near the Tekoa Junction in Gush Etzion. According to the IDF, the terrorist opened fire from a passing vehicle at the victims’ car on a highway about 15 kilometers (49212.6 feet) (9 miles) south of Jerusalem.
Following an hours-long manhunt, security forces apprehended the suspected shooter in nearby Bethlehem, where he had barricaded himself inside a mosque.
Produced in association with Jewish News Syndicate
Edited by Saba Fatima and Maham Javaid
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