Israeli soldier killed in mall knife attack (GRAPHIC VIDEO)

One Israeli soldier was killed and another severely injured in a “suspected terror stabbing attack” at a mall in the northern part of the country, local authorities have said. The assailant, who was identified as a resident of an Arab-majority town, was killed at the scene. 

Israeli police said on Wednesday that the incident occurred in a shopping mall in the city of Karmiel, initially saying that the two soldiers had been injured. Later, however, one of them was pronounced dead, with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) identifying the deceased as 19-year-old Sergeant Alexander Yakiminski.

Law enforcement later identified the suspect as 21-year-old Jawwad Omar Rubia, a Palestinian from the Arab town of Nahf, located not far from Karmiel. Several Israeli and Palestinian media outlets reported that Israeli police had arrested several members of his family.

Graphic footage circulating on social media appears to show two Israeli soldiers walking side by side in the mall when a man armed with a knife attacks them from behind. The culprit quickly stabbed the first soldier at least three times, and then grappled with the second service member. The first soldier, who by then had fallen on the ground, manages to grab his gun and shoot the suspect several times.

Another clip, apparently filmed moments later, shows the body of one of the soldiers lying on the ground, with blood stains on the floor, as an unidentified man attempts to resuscitate him. 

While no organization has claimed responsibility for the attack, Palestinian Islamic Jihad called it a “heroic operation,” while Hamas described it as a “natural response” to Israel’s military operation in Gaza.

Tensions between the Israeli and Arab populations have soared since Hamas launched a surprise attack on the Jewish state in October, after which West Jerusalem began a massive military offensive in the Palestinian enclave. The hostilities have so far claimed the lives of more than 1,400 Israelis and 37,000 Palestinians, as well as causing unprecedented destruction in Gaza.