Three attacks by Palestinians in the space of just over an hour and a half have left one dead and at least 13 injured across Israel, in incidents that included a mass stabbing in Jaffa during a visit by the US vice-president, Joe Biden.

The person killed was later identified as Taylor Force, a Vanderbilt University student, the school in Nashville, Tennessee, confirmed in a statement on Tuesday night. Force had been on a school trip with the Owen Graduate School of Management.

“Taylor embarked on this trip to expand his understanding of global entrepreneurship,” the statement read, “and also to share his insights and knowledge with startups in Israel. 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.”

The statement also noted that other Vanderbilt students and staff on the trip were safe.



In the spate of attacks on Tuesday evening – in East Jerusalem, Petah Tikva and Jaffa – attackers used guns and knives against both Israeli police and passersby. It was one of the worst days of violence in several months of almost daily attacks.

They coincided with the arrival in Tel Aviv of Biden on Tuesday for meetings with the Israeli prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, and the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas.

The US vice-president was reportedly visiting the Peres Centre for Peace, a mile away from where the stabbing took place. Initial accounts of the attacks were confused and contradictory. Biden was kept informed of the unfolding incidents but chose to continue with his schedule.

In the worst incident, a Palestinian stabbed three Israelis near Jaffa’s port before attacking three more near a popular restaurant on the city’s promenade.

According to reports, victims were stabbed at three locations during the 20-minute attack as the assailant ran several hundred metres along the seafront. Among those seriously injured was the US tourist’s wife.

Video footage from the scene appeared to show a man in dark trousers and a grey hooded top running beside a traffic jam, apparently attempting to stab occupants through an open car window.

The Magen David Adom ambulance service said four of the wounded in the Jaffa incident had severe injuries.

A witness, identified as Yosef, told the Ynet news website: “The terrorist, who was young and wearing a hoodie, came from the Jaffa port area. Once he was on the boardwalk, he attacked a tourist couple. The woman was stabbed several times, tried to flee, and fell.

“The terrorist then continued to stab the man, and stabbed him in the leg. I was in my car. I ran to him, took the aluminium pylon, and hit the terrorist in the back. He tried to stab me, then he ran.”

A second witness added: “I was in my office and I heard screams. I saw a young man wearing a hoodie who was attacking a woman. She was a tourist. There were screams and then a man carrying an aluminium rod ran towards them.”

“I heard two guys screaming that there was an attack,” said a woman, who gave her name as Emily. “I ran in the opposite direction and ran into a man who was on the ground in his blood. I covered him with my jacket. He was badly injured and we waited together for the ambulances to come.”

The assailant, later identified as a 22-year-old Palestinian man from Qalqiliya, was shot dead by police as he tried to flee towards neighbouring Tel Aviv. Hospital officials later reported that one of those stabbed had died of their injuries.

The series of assaults began with an attack on an ultra-orthodox man who was followed into an off-licence in Petah Tikvah and stabbed. The victim and the shop’s owner managed to overpower the attacker, who was reportedly stabbed to death with his own weapon.

In another attack shortly afterwards, a gunman opened fire on Israeli police in Salah e-Din Street in East Jerusalem, seriously injuring two officers before he was killed himself.

Police later identified the gunman as Fouad Tamimi, 25, from the East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Isawiya.

The latest attacks come after months of violence in Israel and the Palestinian territories in which 183 Palestinians and 28 Israelis have been killed since October.

The latests attacks was welcomed by Hamas, although the Islamist group which governs Gaza did not claim direct responsibility.

A large number of Palestinians have been killed while carrying out knife, gun or car-ramming attacks, according to Israeli authorities. Others were shot dead by Israeli forces during clashes or demonstrations.

The latest incidents of violence prompted political opponents of Netanyahu to criticise the Israeli prime minister’s handling of the months-long crisis.

Tzipi Livni, co-leader of the Zionist Union party and a former peace negotiator and foreign minister,, said: “The terror wave will not subside on its own, the Biden visit is an opportunity to lower the flames.”

The US vice-president is scheduled to meet Netanyahu and Abbas on Wednesday.

Before Tuesday’s violence, Biden’s visit had been overshadowed by a new blow to the troubled relationship between Barack Obama and Netanyahu.



Israeli prime minister’s decision not to accept an invitation for talks with the US president in Washington later this month “surprised” the White House, which first learned of it through news reports.

Netanyahu’s office defended the decision, saying he did not want to interfere in US presidential primary elections and caucuses.

Obama and Netanyahu’s already testy relationship was worsened by the Israeli prime minister’s forceful opposition to the Iran nuclear deal, including in a speech to the US Congress.

But the pair have sought to set aside their disagreements in recent months and work out a new 10-year defence aid package for Israel in an attempt to demonstrate that the ties between the two traditional allies remain strong.

The US vice-president ’s visit comes with Obama having acknowledged there will be no comprehensive agreement between Israelis and Palestinians before he leaves office in January.