A 42-year-old terrorist from Shuafat stabbed two Israelis at a hotel in Kibbutz Tzuba, leaving one man fighting for his life. An off-duty police officer heroically overpowered the attacker with his bare hands.
A quiet Friday afternoon at Kibbutz Tzuba’s hotel in the Jerusalem Hills turned into horror when a terrorist stormed the dining room shouting “Allahu Akbar” and began stabbing guests.
Two Israelis were injured in the brutal assault: a 50-year-old man, severely wounded with chest injuries, and a 23-year-old in moderate condition. Both were rushed to Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital by MDA emergency teams.
The attacker, identified as a 42-year-old Shuafat resident with a criminal and terror-related record, had worked at the hotel for the past four months. Police later confirmed his prior convictions for stone-throwing offenses.
The attack could have been far deadlier if not for the swift action of an off-duty police officer from Israel’s Southern District, who was vacationing at the hotel. Seeing the stabbing unfold—and with no time to draw his firearm—the officer tackled the terrorist with his bare hands, subduing him until security forces arrived.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of panic:
“We were sitting to eat when suddenly there was a commotion. We saw someone with a knife coming toward the balcony, but the dining hall manager bravely intercepted him and saved us,” one hotel guest told Arutz Sheva.
MDA paramedic Noa Sade detailed the race to save the severely wounded victim:
“He was conscious but unstable, suffering from a serious chest wound. We gave him fluids and medication during evacuation.”
MDA Senior EMT Ro’i Ben Shoham added that the younger victim also sustained chest injuries but was stabilized and evacuated in moderate condition.
Police say the incident highlights the ongoing threat posed by terrorists embedded within civilian workplaces, using their positions to stage sudden, lethal attacks.
