Four wounded in stabbing attack in southern Israel

Since October 1, 18 people have been killed, including an Eritrean national, a United States citizen and a Palestinian bystander, in near-daily stabbing, shooting or car-ramming attacks against Israelis, by mainly Palestinian assailants. The Palestinians counter by saying it is a result of frustration from almost a half-century of occupation.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry will meet next week with Israeli and Palestinian leaders in the region to try to stop ongoing violence, although senior USA official insisted it was not a renewed effort to broker a peace accord.

At least 400 Palestinian children are still detained in Israeli jails, the NGO added.

Hundreds of Israeli police have descended on the town to find the attacker, with reports they have warned residents to stay in their homes.

Police were hunting a suspect who fled the scene of the stabbing in the southern city of Kiryat Gat on Saturday, officials said.

Eighteen Israelis and others have died, along with 80 Palestinians, in a wave of violence over the past seven weeks.

“We were disappointed to learn that the Israeli police officer who severely beat American teenager Tariq Abu Khdeir in July of 2014 was spared prison time by an Israeli court yesterday”, Kirby said.

The violence has Israelis on edge, and several politicians have urged licensed gun owners to carry their weapons.

One of the victims was identified as Yaakov Don, an Israeli from the Alon Shvut settlement near the site of the attack, and another was the American, police said. Gen. Yoav Mordechai and Palestinian Minister of Civil Affairs Hussen al-Sheikh signed an agreement granting Palestinian mobile carriers 3G high-speed data services in the West Bank.

Elsewhere clashes between rock-throwing Palestinians and Israeli soldiers near Silwad, north of Ramallah, wounded at least one Palestinian, medical sources said. The unrest quickly spread throughout Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. “Israel must also end practices such as house demolition which collectively punish the wider Palestinian population”.

Rights groups have accused Israel of using inappropriate force on protesters.