Israeli Police Kill Palestinian Attacker Near Damascus Gate After Attempted Stabbing in Jerusalem's Old City

Israeli Border Police shot and killed a 33-year-old East Jerusalem man early Friday morning, September 4, after he attempted to stab civilians and security forces near Damascus Gate in Jerusalem's Old City. The assailant, identified by Palestinian sources as Ibrahim al-Hindi from the Beit Hanina neighborhood, arrived by motorcycle, parked it nearby, and approached civilians with a knife before police intervened. The civilians escaped and alerted authorities. One man in his 30s sustained light wounds and was evacuated to Shaare Zedek Medical Center by United Hatzalah. The attacker was pronounced dead at the scene. The incident occurred hours after more than 50,000 people gathered at the Western Wall for selichot prayers. The attack reflects the ongoing pattern of individual violent incidents in Jerusalem amid broader regional tensions. Hamas official Nasser al-Din condemned the Israeli response as part of systematic terrorism against Palestinians in occupied Jerusalem, where attacks by Israeli forces and settlers have escalated sharply in August 2026. According to Palestinian monitoring groups, the month of August saw two Jerusalemites killed, 73 injured, and 113 abductions recorded, alongside intensified violations at Al-Aqsa Mosque. Israeli security commanders conducted a special situational assessment at the scene given the proximity to the Western Wall gathering and the sensitivity of the Old City ahead of Rosh Hashanah, which begins at sundown on September 11, 2026.