US says Palestinian stabbings are 'acts of terror'

State Department highlights East Jerusalem attacks, evades question on whether Dimona stabbing by Jewish man is also terrorism

WASHINGTON — The United States regards an ongoing spate of stabbings and shootings of Israelis by Palestinians, in which four Israelis have been killed and several more injured this month, as “acts of terror,” the State Department said Friday.

Spokesman John Kirby would not be drawn on whether an apparent revenge attack by a Jewish suspect that wounded two Palestinians and two Israeli Arabs was also terrorism.

“We would consider these violent acts that we’re talking about specifically here as acts of terror,” Kirby said, answering a question about the wave of violence.

“The stabbings, the shootings, terrorism, yes.”

Asked whether this extended to the stabbing allegedly carried out by a 17-year-old Israeli Jew in the city of Dimona, Kirby said he was not aware of the incident.

“I don’t have the details on that, so I’d really rather not get into this event by event,” he said. “But we do consider these particular acts of violence that we’ve seen — the stabbings and the killings there particularly in East Jerusalem — as terror.

“All the violence needs to stop and calm should be restored,” he said.

There have been 12 stabbings by Palestinians since Saturday, as well as the Dimona assault, amid clashes that have raised the specter of a new Palestinian uprising or “intifada.” Most of the stabbing victims have been Israeli civilians, and most of the attacks have taken place in Jerusalem and elsewhere in Israel.

New clashes erupted Friday in Gaza, where Israeli forces opened fire and killed six Palestinians — including a 15-year-old — and wounded 80, according to medics. IDF figures said six Palestinians were killed but put the number of wounded at only 19. The military did not provide details on the ages of those killed. The Palestinians were part of a group of approximately 200 people who approached the border fence between Israel and the Gaza Strip and did not heed soldiers’ calls for them to turn back.

Two Israelis were stabbed in attacks Friday in Jerusalem and the West Bank.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.