Scene outside hotel where stabbing took place (image from Ma'an)

On Sunday afternoon, an 18-year old Palestinian allegedly stabbed three Israelis with ‘work tools’ in the lobby of a hotel in Tel Aviv, according to Israeli police. A fourth Israeli, in his seventies, fell down trying to escape the attack and was also injured.

The teenager who carried out the attack, according to Israeli sources, tried to flee the scene, but was subdued by the husband of one of the victims, who held him down until police arrived. The Israeli police arrested the suspect and took him to an interrogation center.

The area where the attack took place is known as the ‘Yarkon Park’ area, near the beach in Tel Aviv.

Israeli police did not identify the alleged attacker, but said that he is 18 years old, from Nablus. He entered Israel without a permit, according to Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld.

The three Israelis who were stabbed were all taken to the hospital with mild injuries. Two are men, and one is a woman, all three are in their fifties, according to initial reports.

Over the past year and a half, 47 Israelis have been killed by Palestinian attackers. During the same time period, 265 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli soldiers, police, paramilitary settlers and armed civilians.