Security forces have arrested a Palestinian Authority Arab man suspected of stabbing a soldier in Ramat Gan on Sunday. The soldier was lightly wounded in the attack.
The arrest operation was carried out in coordination with the Shin Bet (General Security Services). In addition to the suspect, officers found several other PA Arabs in the vicinity who were in Israel illegally and are suspected of a measure of involvement in the attack. They were arrested as well.
The soldier was attacked on a bus by a fellow passenger as he moved to the back door. The attacker then ran off the bus, and managed to evade security forces for several hours.
Police officials said Monday that they believe the attack was an example of “grassroots terrorism,” in which individuals who are not affiliated with any known terrorist organization carry out an attack. There was no warning before the attack, they said.
A number of such “grassroots” attacks have been reported over the past several weeks, including a shooting attack in the Shomron community of Yitzhar in which three Jews were wounded, and an attack on a Negev base carried out by a lone Bedouin teenager.