Itongadol.- The two Arab terrorists who stabbed three Israelis in their thirties outside Jaffa Gate in Jerusalem Wednesday afternoon have been identified as a pair of former convicts, both of whom were arrested for terrorism and imprisoned in the past.
Annan Hamad, 20, and Issa Assaf, 19, both Qalandiya natives, have each served time in Israeli prison for terror-related offenses.
Hamad was imprisoned after approaching a checkpoint with a knife several years ago, apparently specifically to cause security officials to arrest him. During interrogation, he said he was simply "tired of life."
Assaf, meanwhile, was recently released from prison after serving a sentence for unspecified terrorism-related offenses.
Earlier Wednesday, two alert Border Police officers neutralized the two terrorists after they stabbed three people outside Jerusalem\’s Old City. One of the terrorists – it is unclear which – was eliminated at the scene; the second was neutralized and arrested.
One victim is critically injured, one is seriously injured, and one is suffering from moderate injuries.