Scene of Jerusalem stabbing attack
Scene of Jerusalem stabbing attackYonatan Sindel/Flash90

The terrorist responsible for Sunday afternoon’s stabbing attack at the entrance to Jerusalem’s central bus station hinted at his plans to attack Jews “For Allah’s sake” in a Facebook post just hours before the incident took place.

Police have identified the terrorist from Sunday’s attack as Yassin Abu Al-Keraa, a 24-year-old Palestinian Authority resident.

Closed-circuit television footage from the scene shows the terrorist approaching a metal detector at the entrance to the central bus station in Jerusalem and removing his coat – only to suddenly draw a knife and stab a security guard standing nearby. Abu Al-Keraa fled the scene immediately after stabbing the guard.

The guard, roughly 35 years of age, is in serious condition, suffering a stab wound to the heart. He has been evacuated to Shaarei Tzedek Hospital in Jerusalem.

Hours before the attack, the terrorist, a resident of the PA-controlled city of Shechem (Nabulus) in Samaria, Abu Al-Keraa, wrote on his Facebook account that he hoped to “raise the banner” for “Allah’s sake”.

“For Allah’s sake we rose up, we wish to raise the banner…to let our religion [Islam] exult once again, and to make the Al Aqsa Mosque [on the Temple Mount] once again be resplendent.”

“Please let our blood be spilled – for it is of little matter to spill one’s blood for our homeland, for Jerusalem, and for the Al Aqsa Mosque.”

Authorities say Al-Keraa had legally obtained a temporary residency permit for the Seam Zone outside of Jerusalem, but was not permitted to reside in Jerusalem itself.

Shortly after the attack, which took place at approximately 2:15 p.m., security forces rushed to the scene of the stabbing, and apprehended Abu Al-Keraa, who was then transferred for interrogation.

The attack comes just days after President Trump declared that the United States recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and announced plans to relocate the US Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to the Israeli capital city.

The unprecedented move drew heavy criticism from many European allies and Arab leaders, and touched off riots across the Arab world.

In Israel, thousands of Arabs in eastern Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria rioted on Friday, hurling firebombs and stones at Israeli security forces and civilians. At some demonstrations, protesters burned President Trump in effigy, or tore up pictures of the US president.