Two Israelis wounded in terror stabbing outside Jerusalem

Two Israelis were injured in a stabbing attack at a hotel in Kibbutz Tzuba, near Jerusalem, on Friday.

They were evacuated to Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital in Jerusalem, which reported treating a man in his 50s in serious condition and a 23-year-old man in moderate condition.

Both victims suffered stab wounds and were conscious when they arrived for treatment.

According to Israeli media reports, the terrorist is an Arab-Israeli from Shu’afat, in the eastern part of Jerusalem, who began working at the Tzuba Hotel as a dishwasher on Friday.

ראשוני: אירוע דקירה במלון בקיבוץ צובה, הדוקר נעצר@HGoldich pic.twitter.com/4PkBw6PemJ

— כאן חדשות (@kann_news) September 12, 2025

He reportedly took a knife from the kitchen, entered the dining hall, shouted that he wanted to die, yelled, "Allahu Akbar," and began stabbing people.

Two men were stabbed before the terrorist was apprehended without gunfire by an off-duty police officer who was staying at the hotel.

The terrorist was later identified as was later identified as Basel Zalabani, who, according to Kan News, had been arrested about a decade ago for terror-related activity.

A 13-year-old boy, Mohammad Basel Zalabani, also from Shu’afat, stabbed and killed a Border Police officer in 2023.

The relationship between the two terrorists is currently under investigation.

The police officer who subdued the suspect in Friday's attack stated: “I was attending a family event at the hotel when, a short while ago, I noticed people rushing out of the hotel. I immediately understood that an unusual incident was unfolding.”

“I shouted at people not to run and to walk calmly. I drew my pistol and put on my identification cap. I ran toward the direction from which people were fleeing and spotted the terrorist, who was surrounded by several civilians.”

“I subdued the terrorist with my hands and not by shooting, in order to minimize the risk to the civilians nearby. With the help of a few good citizens, I pinned him to the ground and restrained him. I then saw a person who had been stabbed in the upper body – I gave him initial medical treatment. Later, I realized my own cousin had also been stabbed,” the officer recounted.