The American student who was stabbed to death by a Palestinian terrorist on a knife rampage in Israel was a veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Taylor Allen Force, 28, of Lubbock, Texas, was attacked along a boardwalk near a beach in the Jaffa area of Tel Aviv that is popular with tourists.

Force, an MBA student at Vanderbilt University's Owen Graduate School of Management, died during a school-sponsored trip to learn about startup companies overseas.

Force graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and served in the Army from 2009 to 2014, according to his LinkedIn page.

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT

Taylor Force (pictured), a student at Vanderbilt University's Owen Graduate School of Management, was stabbed to death by a Palestinian terrorist on a knife rampage in Tel Aviv before he was shot dead by police

Taylor Force (left, with his parents and sister Kristen) was on a school trip when he was fatally stabbed

He had been based at Fort Hood, Texas, as a platoon leader and fire support officer, among other duties.

At West Point, Force was a member of the ski team and received a bachelor's degree in engineering and industrial management.

Force went to high school at New Mexico Military Institute and was an Eagle Scout, according to the LinkedIn page.

His father Stuart Force spoke briefly with The Associated Press by phone.

'He was a great kid,' he said, before he received a call from family and ended the conversation.

Vanderbilt Chancellor Nicholas Zeppos, in a letter notifying students, faculty and staff, called the incident a 'horrific act of violence' but provided no details.

The 29-year-old, pictured with his sister Kristen, was a student at Vanderbilt University's Owen Graduate School of Management

In a statement, Vanderbilt's Chancellor said Forcce (pictured with his sister) 'exemplified the spirit of discovery, learning and service that is the hallmark of our wonderful Owen community'

Zeppos said in his letter that the other 28 students and four Vanderbilt staffers on the trip were safe. The university is arranging for their return to the United States.

'Taylor embarked on this trip to expand his understanding of global entrepreneurship and also to share his insights and knowledge with start-ups in Israel,' Zeppos said.

'He exemplified the spirit of discovery, learning and service that is the hallmark of our wonderful Owen community.

'This horrific act of violence has robbed our Vanderbilt family of a young hopeful life and all of the bright promise that he held for bettering our greater world.

'Taylor's family and his friends and colleagues have our deepest sympathy and utmost support.'

He said university resources are being made available for students, faculty and staff who may seek counseling.

Video of the attack shows the man, 22, running along a road close to the marina before approaching cars as they slow down and then apparently stabbing the occupants

The U.S. State Department strongly condemned the attack and identified the slain American as Force.

In a statement, department spokesman John Kirby said: 'The United States condemns in the strongest possible terms today's outrageous terrorist attacks in Jaffa, Petah Tikvah, and Jerusalem, which tragically claimed the life of U.S. citizen Taylor Allen Force and left many others severely injured.

'We offer our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Taylor and all those affected by these senseless attacks, and we wish a speedy recovery for the injured.

'As we have said many times, there is absolutely no justification for terrorism. We continue to encourage all parties to take affirmative steps to reduce tensions and restore calm.'

The attacker, identified as Bashar Masalha, 22, from the West Bank settlement of Qalqilyah, was shot dead by police.

A dozen Isrealis, civilians and police officers were wounded in a series of knife and gun attacks that authorities in Tel Aviv said were carried out by Palestinians.

Among those severely injured are believed to be a pregnant woman, a Russian tourist, and the wife of the dead tourist, local media reports (pictured, the knife used during the stabbings)

'GUITAR HERO': MAN SMASHED HIS ACOUSTIC GUITAR OVER ATTACKER'S HEAD WHEN HE SAW HIM COME RUNNING WITH A KNIFE Yishai Montgomery (pictured) smashed his acoustic guitar over the attacker's head in an attempt to slow him down A quick-thinking man smashed his acoustic guitar over the head of the Palestinian terrorist in a bid to slow him down as he came running towards him brandishing a knife. Yishai Montgomery, 26, was playing his guitar on the beach in Jaffa when he heard screams and saw Bashar Masalha, 22, approaching, Jerusalem Online reports. In a heroic effort to stop the assailant, Montgomery smashed his acoustic guitar over the attacker's head. He managed to stun Masalha, who killed an American student and injured up to a dozen people before he was gunned down by police. With a large hole left in Montgomery's guitar, people have lauded the 26-year-old for his bravery and contributed money towards a new instrument. 'I had just sat down to play my guitar near the ocean when I heard screams from down the road,' Montgomery told Channel 2 News. He then realized a man was running towards him with a knife. 'He jumped on the bench yelling at me and trying to stab me so I grabbed my guitar and hit him over the head with it,' Montgomery told the Times of Israel. 'He was so stunned and didn't know what to do with himself and then started running away.' Montgomery then pursued the 22-year-old, from the West Bank settlement of Qalqilyah, yelling: 'Terrorist!' Other bystanders joined the chase, and police eventually shot Masalha dead. On a GoFundMe page created Ed-Malki Dvir, Montgomery is hailed as a 'guitar hero' and many have already pitched in to raise more than $1,000 towards the total goal of $1,500. It is unclear what Dvir's relationship is to Montgomery, but he wrote: 'Yishai may very well have saved many lives as he neutralized the attack. He deserves a new guitar or two or 3. Only the best for this lifesaving guitar hero!' One contributor who donated five dollars offered to deliver a brand new guitar to Montgomery and left his phone number in a message on the site. Others have made similarly generous offers to help replace the damaged instrument. According to Jerusalem Online, one woman has offered up her guitar 'as a sign of gratitude for his bravery'. Advertisement

Along with Masalha, three other Palestinian assailants were shot and killed in the day's rash of violence - the latest in a wave of near-daily Palestinian assaults on Israeli civilians and security forces that erupted in September last year.

Police say Masalha stabbed several people close to the marina in Jaffa, Tel Aviv, before running towards the Manta Ray restaurant on the seaside promenade, stabbing more victims.

Masalha then fled towards the center of Tel Aviv, stabbing motorists as he ran, police said.

'A terrorist, an illegal resident who came from somewhere in the Palestinian territories, came here to Jaffa and embarked on a run ... along the boardwalk. On his way he indiscriminately stabbed people,' Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai told Army Radio.

One of the people who was seriously injured during the attacks is a pregnant woman while another is a Russian tourist, the Jerusalem Post, citing Israel's Channel 2.

Shocking video of part of the attack, uploaded to YouTube, shows a man believed to be Masalha running along a darkened street into oncoming traffic.

As cars slow down, he can be seen running up to several of the vehicles and apparently stabbing the occupants before carrying on up the road.

Yosef, a witness who spoke to Ynet, said: 'The terrorist, young with a sweatshirt, came from the direction of the Jaffa port.

'At the promenade's plaza he jumped on a couple of tourists. A woman was stabbed several times, tried to get away and collapsed. He continued stabbing a man and another younger guy in the leg.

'I was in my car. I ran out, grabbed a metal bar and hit him on the back. He tried to stab me and then fled.'

Another witness, who gave her name as Emily, said: 'I heard two guys screaming that there was an attack. I ran in the opposite direction and ran into a man who was on the ground in his blood.'

A 29-year-old American tourist was killed in Israel after a mass stabbing attack by a Palestinian man in the Jaffa neighborhood of Tel Aviv as Joe Biden began his visit to Israel

The attacker, 22, began stabbing people along a boardwalk close to the marina in Jaffa (pictured), an area popular with tourists, before making his way towards a restaurant where more people were stabbed

Ambulance crews reported at least four people were seriously injured in the attack, while local media reported another four had moderate injuries and two people escaped with only minor wounds

'I covered him with my jacket. He was badly injured and we waited together for the ambulances to come.'

A third man told Israeli television he hit the attacker with his guitar, showing cameras the instrument with a hole visible in the wood.

According to social media, Masalha is a graduate from Damascus University in Syria who is in a relationship with an unknown partner.

Posts on his Facebook page reveal that he has recently returned from the pilgrimage to Mecca.

Tel Aviv District Police Commander Chico Edry arrived on the scene and said the police would bolster its presence in the Tel Aviv area.

Police inspect the body of the Palestinian attacker after he was shot dead in the Jaffa neighborhood of Tel Aviv

Israeli police officers look for evidence near the scene of a stabbing attack on March 8, 2016 in the neighbourhood of Jaffa in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv

The knife attack was just one of a series of gun and knife attacks that took place throughout Israel on Tuesday

Police Commissioner Roni Alsheikh told Ynet: 'There was a wave of three attacks [in Jaffa, Petah Tikva and Jerusalem on Tuesday] that had no connection between them. All the incidents are over.

'Our goal is to return the situation to routine as quickly as possible. We will seek to understand if there is anything new we need to take into account... and we will update the public.'

According to the Israeli National News, the attacker came from the city of Qalqilya in the West Bank, but did not give a source for this information.

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, who began a two-day visit to Israel on Tuesday, was just a mile away from the site of the attacks at the Peres Center for Peace when they took place.

A source from Biden's team told J Post that the US vice president's delegation was aware of the incident and had not altered its schedule.

The source said that vice president met with former Israeli President Shimon Peres as planned, adding that Biden was in a secure location and therefore did not need to change course.

When meeting Peres on Tuesday, he spoke of an 'unvarnished, complete commitment to the security of Israel. And I hope we will make some progress.'

Biden is due to meet separately with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas on Wednesday.

The White House has said Biden will not be pursuing any major new peace initiatives during his visit despite the wave of violence.

A wounded man is taken away from the scene of the stabbing in the Jaffa district of Tel Aviv

A man passes blood and medical bandages along the sea front in Jaffa, a neighborhood of Tel Aviv, where up to 12 people were wounded during a knife attack

Blood is spattered across the pavement next to bouquets of flowers with the marina in Jaffa, the scene of the knife attack, pictured in the background

Members of an ultra-orthodox Jewish burial society clean blood off the sidewalk after Tuesday's attacks

Meanwhile in Jerusalem two Israeli police officers and a civilian were injured when gunmen opened fire.

They were the latest acts of bloodshed in more than five months of near-daily Palestinian violence that shows no sign of abating.

Earlier, Israel disputed a White House claim that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 'surprised' the Obama administration by canceling a planned visit to Washington, saying that the White House knew Netanyahu was considering not coming.

Local media reported that the man began his attack along a boardwalk close to a popular beach before running into a nearby restaurant and continuing to stab people

The attack only ended after armed Israel police arrived and shot the attacker dead, according to officers

Israeli police search buildings close to the scene of Tuesday's knife attack in Tel Aviv after reports of more than one attacker, but later confirmed it was carried out by one man

Joe BIden is pictured at the Peres Center for Peace in Jaffa, which is only around a mile from where Tuesday's fatal knife attack took place

Netanyahu had been expected to visit later in March on a trip coinciding with a major pro-Israel group's annual summit, but his office said he would not travel because he did not wish to come at the height of U.S. presidential primaries.

The spat comes amid tense relations with President Barack Obama in the last year of his presidency.

Biden landed in Israel about an hour after a Palestinian opened fire at police near Jerusalem's Old City wounding an officer before fleeing the scene.

In the chase that followed, he wounded another officer before he was shot and killed.

Biden is taking part in a two-day visit to Israel where he is expected to meet with senior political figures in an attempt to mend relations following the Iran nuclear deal

As well as the stabbing in Jaffa, a shooting attack also took place in Salah al-Din Street in East Jerusalem, where two police officers were shot (pictured)

Another knife attack also took place in the Israeli city of Petah Tikvah where a man was stabbed in the chest and neck before the attacker was killed (scene pictured)

A short while before that, a Palestinian stabbed an Israeli in the neck at a store in the central city of Petah Tikvah.

The Times of Israel reports that a 35-year-old man was attacked inside a wine shop and was stabbed several times in the upper body.

At one point, he is said to have pulled the attacker's knife out of his own neck before turning it on the man, killing him.

Images from the scene show a blood-covered knife about four to six inches in length. Miraculously the victim was only moderately wounded.

Earlier in the day, a Palestinian woman who tried to stab Israeli security forces was shot and killed by officers, also in Jerusalem's Old City, Israeli police said.

It was the latest in a wave of Palestinian attacks that have killed 28 Israelis, mostly in shootings, stabbings and assaults with cars. At least 174 Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire during that time. Most of them were attackers and the rest were killed in clashes, Israel says.