Israel's security forces thwarted five attempted terror attacks on Sunday, while a sixth was prevented when a civilian escaped her would-be attacker. No Israeli forces were hurt in any of the incidents, while five of the Palestinian attackers were shot dead.

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On Sunday night, two attackers armed with homemade M-16 rifles opened fire at a police force that was being briefed about 30 meters away next to a light rail station near the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City.

The officers noticed a suspicious man with a bag in his hand. They approached him and instructed him to stop and put down his bag. He thn pulled out a rifle and aimed it at the officers, who responded quickly and shot him.

After having shot the first attacker, the second attacker opened fire at them. They pursued the shooter, returned fire, and neutralized him.

Both attackers were declared dead at the scene.

Scene of the shooting attack at the Damascus Gate (צילום: משה מזרחי)

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On Sunday afternoon, a Palestinian woman tried to stab a Border Policeman stationed at the road leading to the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron. The Border Policeman pushed her back and shot her, critically wounding her. The girl, identified by Palestinian media as 14-year-old Jasmine Rashad al-Zaru, was taken to the Shaare Zedek Medical Center in Jerusalem.

Earlier in the afternoon, a woman reported that a young Arab teenage boy, approximately 14 years old, tried to stab her on Moshe Baram Street in Talpiot in southern Jerusalem. She told police that the Arab teenager tapped her on the shoulder, and when she turned around, she saw him holding a knife. She retreated and the would-be attacker fled. The woman was not wounded and police are searching for the fugitive suspect.

The Mazmoriya checkpoint near Jerusalem (Photo: Hillel Meir, TPS)

On Sunday morning, two Palestinians threw stones at passing vehicles near Jenin and tried to cross the separation fence. When forces arrived at the scene, the Palestinians opened fire at them. The soldiers fired back and killed the two Palestinians. No soldiers were wounded in the exchange.

The Palestinian Health Ministry identified the two Palestinians as Nihad and Fouad Waked, both 15 years old. They were from the same extended family in the West Bank village of al-Araka, near Jenin, but were not close relatives.

In another incident on Sunday morning, a Palestinian knife-wielding attacker ran at Border Police officers at the Mazmoriya security checkpoint on the outskirts of Jerusalem. One of the officers shot and killed him. No Israeli troops were wounded. The Palestinian Health Ministry identified the Palestinian as 17-year-old Naim Safi of Abadiya village near Bethlehem.

In a separate incident, IDF scouts found a small remote-controlled explosive device on the road leading up to Mount Ebal near Nablus. An IDF bomb disposal unit neutralized the explosive. No Israeli forces were hurt.

Israel says the ongoing violence is fueled by a campaign of incitement by Palestinian leaders that is compounded on social media sites that glorify attacks. Palestinians say it stems from frustration at nearly five decades of Israeli rule and dwindling hopes for gaining independence.