Terror attacks continue 4-month decline in volume

Continuing a downward trend that began in November, the number of terrorist attacks committed in Israel and the West Bank decreased in February by nine percent over the previous month.

Last month, the Shin Bet security agency recorded a total of 154 terror attacks committed in Israel and the West Bank by Palestinians against Israelis, the agency wrote in its monthly (Hebrew) report for February, which it published this week.

Attacks in February resulted in the deaths of three victims and the wounding of 11 — a decrease from the slaying of five victims and the wounding of 28 in January.

The figure for February is the lowest monthly total recorded since July, when 103 attacks were observed.

Attacks began increasing in August, when 171 attacks were documented, and rose sharply in September and October, with 223 and 620 attacks recorded in those months respectively.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in October called the escalation “a terror wave,” whereas many Israeli and Palestinian media dubbed it “the third intifada.”

But the overall number of attacks decreased to 326 attacks in November, 246 attacks in December and 169 attacks in January.

Shin Bet recorded last month one attack that it classified as “Jewish terrorism” – the hurling of an ax at a Palestinian-owned vehicle near the West Bank settlement of Karnei Shomron. No one was injured in that attack.

Of the attacks recorded in February, 75 percent involved the hurling of firebombs compared to only five stabbing attacks.

In all, 29 Israelis and four foreign nationals have been killed in a wave of Palestinian terrorism and violence since October. Some 180 Palestinians have also been killed, around two-thirds of them while attacking Israelis, and the rest during clashes with troops, according to the Israeli army.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.