IDF soldier reports attempted stabbing in Ramat Gan

An IDF soldier reported Sunday that he was targeted in an attempted stabbing attack in Ramat Gan, prompting police to launch a widespread search in the area for possible suspects.

No injuries were reported in the incident.

An initial investigation found that the soldier had not actually seen a knife being drawn, and that his alleged would-be attacker had fled the scene.

Last week, police launched a massive manhunt in Tel Aviv after a soldier said an assailant had attempted to stab him, then called off the search hours later, saying the episode appeared to have been a misunderstanding. Police had initially said a soldier had narrowly escaped being stabbed by a person in a car who called him over, but later said the soldier was spooked by a homeless man with a knife.

That announcement came after dozens of police swarmed Tel Aviv to search for the perpetrator, and officials reportedly locked down schools.

Tel Aviv and other central Israeli cities have been on edge since a Palestinian man went on a stabbing spree in Jaffa on March 10, killing an American tourist and wounding 10 others.

Tel Aviv, considered the country’s financial and cultural hub, has seen a number of attacks during a nearly six-month round of violence, including a deadly shooting on New Year’s Day that was followed by a several-day manhunt that shut down some parts of the city.