A Palestinian teenager from the West Bank stabbed an Israeli Defense Forces soldier to death on Wednesday morning inside a bus at a bus station in the northern city of Afula, The Jerusalem Post reported. Eden Atias, a resident of Upper Nazareth, was on his way back to his base and, according to some reports, was asleep in his seat when he was murdered.
Hussein Jawadra, the 16-year-old assailant from Jenin who had been illegally residing in Israel turned himself over to security forces. Jawadra reportedly has two cousins being held in Israel, with one serving three life sentences for the murder of two Israelis and for several counts of attempted murder. The other was jailed for 12 years for attempted murder, Ynet News also reported.
Israel's rescue unit Magen David Adom received a call at about 8:30 a.m. to treat Atias. The soldier had just enlisted in the army.
"We consider this incident to be a terrorist attack motivated by nationalism," said police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld.
"The terrorist got on the bus and it is unclear whether he intended to stab (someone) or was on his way to work. Eventually he stabbed the soldier sitting next to him. The terrorist will be transferred to medical treatment at Haemek Medical Center in Afula after suffering bruises during his arrest. He will then be taken to security forces questioning," said Northern Police Chief Roni Atiya, as reported by Israeli media.
"From what I know he was in the middle of basic training. Before that he was abroad in a trip to Burgas with friends," said one of Atias' friends, as reported by Ynet News.
Jawadra was in Israel without any permits, news reports said.
"Congratulations to the Palestinian West Bank hero who killed an Israeli soldier in Afula this morning," Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhum wrote on his Facebook page, as reported by AFP.
Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon said in a statement that "terror carried out by individuals who are not part of organizations is primarily a result of the severe incitement in the Palestinian Authority, which even now, while negotiating with us, continues to educate its younger generation to admire terrorists and murder Jews."
"I am certain that the government and the state will do all in their power to prevent incidents of this kind from recurring in the future," said Israeli President Shimon Peres after he consoled the Atias family.
Thousands of Israelis paid their last respects to Atias on Wednesday night.
