British Student Stabbed to Death in Jerusalem Terror Attack

A 23-year-old British student was killed after being stabbed multiple times in the chest in a terror attack at IDF Square on Jerusalem's light rail on Friday afternoon.

The terrorist was arrested after a number of police officers managed to apprehend. He was later identified as 57-year-old Jamil Tamimi from the Palestinian neighborhood of Ras al-Amud.

Magen David Adom (MDA) paramedics arrived at the scene to find the woman lying on the ground unconscious after having suffered multiple stab wounds.

Medics carried out first aid emergency treatment on the victim, before she was hurriedly evacuated to the Hadassah Har Hatzofim Medical Center in the capital.

While her condition was originally described as critical, she was pronounced dead shortly after.

In addition, medical teams provided treatment to a 30-year-old pregnant woman who sustained light injuries as the light rail abruptly came to a halt.

A 50-year-old man also suffered light wounds in his leg and chest while trying to escape from the chaos.

The Shin Bet later reported that the terrorist attempted to commit suicide this year by swallowing a razor blade while in hospital. In 2011, he was convicted of sexually assaulting his daughter.

"This is another incident of many in which a Palestinian suffering from mental health or personal issues has chosen to carry out an attack as a way out of his problems," the Shin Bet statement said.

Jerusalem Police Commander Yoram Halevi said that Tamimi boarded the light rail near the Damascus Gate, spotted his victim and attacked her.

An off-duty policeman heard the screaming and immediately engaged the terrorist until he was placed under arrest. "The terrorist is mentally unstable," Halevi confirmed.

The attack comes during the holiday of Passover, a period during which security forces have ramped up their level of caution and alertness in anticipation of renewed efforts by terrorists to rock the recent period of comparative stability.

Last month, the head of the Shin Bet warned during a Foreign Affairs and Security Committee meeting that "We are now approaching the festival of Passover. There is no doubt that the terror infrastructure, especially Hamas, will try to incite and carry out attacks."

In an effort to prevent the infiltration of any terrorists seeking to strike during the 7-day Passover holiday, a general closure was imposed on Monday at midnight on the West Bank and is set to continue until midnight this Monday at the conclusion of the festival.

The last terror attack to have taken place on the light rail was in November 2015 when two Palestinians aged 11 and 14 stabbed a security guard in the Pisgat Ze'ev neighborhood.