Two children, ages 4 and 9, were stabbed Monday in Beit Shemesh, near Jerusalem. The 9-year-old was critically wounded and taken to Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital while undergoing resuscitation, while the 4-year-old was seriously wounded and evacuated conscious. A suspect was arrested at the scene, with an initial assessment indicating that he is the children's neighbor.
According to initial details, the children's father called emergency services and directed responders to the apartment on Emek HaZeitim Street. The two children were found lying on the ground in the yard with stab wounds: the 9-year-old had been stabbed in the neck and throat area, while the 4-year-old had been stabbed in the chest. The father said he found his children lying wounded in the yard and could not say with certainty who had stabbed them. The initial assessment is that a neighbor, who is believed to have mental health issues and was arrested at the scene, was involved in the incident.
Magen David Adom, Israel's national emergency medical service, said EMTs and paramedics treated the children before taking them to Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospital. The 9-year-old was evacuated in critical condition while undergoing resuscitation, while the 4-year-old was taken to the hospital in serious condition and conscious.
"We arrived at a horrifying scene, with a great deal of commotion outside," MDA EMT Yosef Chaim Bernfeld said. "We were led to two children who had suffered severe injuries. One was a 9-year-old boy who was unconscious, with no pulse and not breathing, while the 4-year-old was conscious. We provided lifesaving medical treatment, performed resuscitation on the 9-year-old and evacuated them to the hospital in critical and serious condition, respectively."
