Israeli guard injured in Palestinian knife attack in Jerusalem

Jerusalem, Dec 10 (IANS) An Israeli security guard was seriously wounded on Sunday by a Palestinian knifeman outside Jerusalem's central bus station, the police said.

The suspect, a 24-year-old Palestinian resident of the West Bank, stabbed the security guard and fled the scene, said a police statement, describing it as a "terror attack", Xinhua news agency reported.

He was chased and arrested by a civilian and a policeman nearby, it added.

Israel's Magen David Adom emergency medical service said that the 25-year-old Israeli guard sustained serious injuries and was rushed to hospital in a critical condition.

The incident occurred amid growing tensions over US President Donald Trump's recent decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israeli capital despite strong opposition and protests from the Palestinians and Muslims across the world.

Trump also ordered the State Department to start immediately the process of relocating the US embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

To protest Trump's announcement, the Palestinians called for three "days of rage." Protests were held in the past days in the Palestinian territories, many cities in Muslim countries, as well as some European capitals.

Four Palestinians were killed and dozens of others were injured in their clashes with Israeli security forces in the Gaza Strip and West Bank over the weekend.

On Friday, two Palestinian protesters were killed and 98 others were wounded in clashes in the Palestinian territories. A number of Palestinian protesters were also arrested at the Damascus Gate in East Jerusalem during skirmishes with Israeli security forces after the Friday prayers.

The two other Palestinians killed were believed to be Hamas members, who lost their lives in Gaza Strip Friday during airstrikes launched by Israeli military in retaliation against Hamas' firing of three rockets into Israel from the enclave.